Positive
by MZ-Superman-Fan
Summary: What happens when Lois finds she didn't come back from the future alone and Clark is the only one who knows what really happened during those missing moments? Goes AU from Pandora Season 9. Rated M for future Chapters
1. Positive

**Author's Note**

Jackie

My first fanfiction for Smallville... or in general. :)

This has been my project over the past couple of weeks and will hopefully bring enjoyment to those who read it. So read away, review (I do love that constructive criticism).

Enjoy and I will update as often as I get a chance to.

**Disclaimer:** Any recognized characters belong to those who created them.

**Summary:** What happens when Lois finds she didn't come back from the future alone and Clark is the only one who knows what really happened during those missing moments? Begins from Pandora Season 9.

**Spoiler Alert: **If you haven't watched season 9 on Smallville then I wouldn't read this.

* * *

Three weeks. Lois tightly closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples, waiting. Three weeks that were a void in her memory. She felt lost, worried, anxious, and even a little afraid. 'No, Lane. No fear.' Almost 60 days since her spontaneous amnesia and it had become imperative that she find out exactly where she was. She had no idea what had occurred during those missing moments, but there was one thing she could verify. It was two months later and there was a solid blue cross slowly appearing on the object sitting by the sink.

**Knock. Knock.** Lois jumped at the sudden noise, keeping her gaze on the test. "What?" Annoyed, Lois put the test back into its original wrapper, sliding it into the box and setting it into her purse. 'Why do they put locks on the bathroom doors if people don't expect them to be used?'

"You've been in there for almost half an hour, Lois. You ready to follow a lead on the Mayor case?" A male's voice was heard, though muffled, through the door. She cursed under her breath, setting herself to rights and unlocking the door to the ladies room.

'Damn it, Clark.' She thought, glaring in his direction as she heading towards her desk. "I just had to freshen up before we chased down this informant, Smallville. You think _your_ good looks are going to win him over? Think again, buddy." There was a pause while she mentally continued. 'Think, never… unless I'm that informant. Wait. Did I just think think? Yes. Yes I did.' And then she grinned.

Mental checklist, 'Doctor, prenatal vitamins, bigger apartment… no you're thinking too far ahead, Lois. Doctor first.' She double checked for her cell phone as they began to leave the Planet. 'Blood tests, baby furniture, what to tell the General…"

"-ois. Lois. Lois." Clark was waving a hand in front of her face, a look of concern appearing. Her startled expression didn't ease his worry. "Hey, you don't seem focused here."

"I'm fine, Kent. I just need to get this assignment over with so I can take care of some stuff." Her and Clark's relationship was on solid friendship ground, with that one kiss that they weren't ready to discuss, but this new information was still not something she was ready to share with him. She knew that trust wasn't the issue. She trusted Clark and Clark trusted her… most of the time.

She cast him an unnoticed glance. 'Goody-two-shoes, Smallville.' He couldn't know yet. Not until she got a grasp on the situation.

Twenty-four hours later, sitting in a waiting chair outside of the hospital lab, Lois tapped her fingers impatiently on the chair's wooden arm. 'What is taking them so long?' Irritated, she grabbed her purse and made her way to the lab tech. "Hey."

The tech turned to face Lois, an almost blank expression on her face. "Yes?" It was evident that the tech didn't particularly like dealing with patients. How did someone train themselves to give a blank expression instead of annoyance? Useful talent, Lois thought.

"Lois Lane here. Any results back?" Her hands were fisted, resting against her hips. 'Patience, Lane.' She just wanted to flick the good angel off her shoulder. Maybe she and the tech had something in common. Playing Nice.

"I will go check. Why don't you sit down and I will be back in just a couple of minutes." The blank expression turned into a false smile as the tech headed into another room and out of Lois's view. A sudden vibration from her purse startled her and taking a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching Lois pulled out the phone.

"Hello." Her tone was more abrupt than she would have usually answered with. The person on the other end failed to notice.

"_Lois, I got your message. I can do a late lunch." _Chloe, thank goodness. A hint of relief swelled within Lois. At least she had her cousin to be there for her in this moment of need.

"That would be great cuz. How about we meet-"

The lab tech reappeared, tsking at Lois as she handed her a piece of paper, "No phones allowed near the lab Miss Lane." Lois gritted her teeth, smiled unnaturally and took the sheet of paper from the woman.

"Coffee shop, 3 o'clock. Gotta go." She slipped the phone back into her purse and slowly began the walk to her car.

**Positive**

Chloe sipped her mocha, checked her watch, and looked towards the street. Lois was running late, as usual. No more than ten minutes later and she finally spotted her cousin's car down the block. As Lois approached Chloe slid the other coffee over and smiled, raising her hand for a little wave. Her cheerful look vanished as Chloe noticed the ruined makeup on Lois's face.

"Lois, what's wrong?" Her cousin's hand was shaking as she held out a piece of paper. Chloe scanned it and realized what was causing Lois's distress. The shock was evident on her face. "You're pregnant."

"Apparently so." Her tone was a mix of awe and concern. Lois had wondered how her cousin would take the news, but Chloe didn't seem anything other than what she had expected.

"Well, who is the father?" Immediately after Chloe asked she understood the gravity of what was happening. This pregnancy was a result of what happened when Lois went to the future. Since Lois didn't have those memories anymore and few people knew what had actually happened, the situation was worse than even Lois knew.

"I don't know. I haven't had sex with anyone in months. The only thing I can think of is that it happened when I had that weird case of amnesia. Chloe, I _have_ to find out what happened during those weeks." Chloe reached across the table and took Lois's hand, offering some comfort.

"We will find out what happened. I have some resources and now is a good time to use them." Resources like Clark and Oliver.

"What am I going to do, Chlo?" Uncertainty was something Chloe rarely heard from Lois and she rested her hand on Lois's shoulder, urging her cousin to face her.

"You're going to buckle down, find out what happened and go to your prenatal checkups. One day at a time, Lo." Chloe stood and finished her mocha, tossing it into the trash. "Let me walk you to work."

"You can't tell anyone, Chloe. Promise?" Chloe nodded, knowing that she was going to have to break that promise, but making it anyway. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last.

"Promise." Chloe said and carefully pulled out her phone, selected one of her groups and texted a messaged. **911**_._


	2. Ambushed

Chloe sat at her desk, awaiting the arrival of Clark and Oliver at Watchtower. Oliver showed up first, in full Green Arrow attire. She sent a slight grin his way and motioned for him to sit down.

"What's the emergency, sidekick?" Casual, spoken in his normal voice and it made her chest heavy. She cared for him more than she could admit.

"We should wait for Clark. This is somewhat important, but not life threatening." At this, Oliver rolled his eyes and unzipped his jacket, tossing it onto the couch along with his glasses.

"You mean I didn't have to get dressed up? Geeze. 911 does not mean what I thought it did." He walked over to where Chloe sat, noticing that her eyes were focused on the monitor. "Why are you checking out the Legion ring info?"

The doors opened once again and Clark entered, immediately heading in the direction of Oliver and Chloe. "Legion Ring? What's happened now?" He actually sounded worried by the topic.

"Clark, you're the only person besides Tess who knows what happened to Lois when she went to the future, correct?" Chloe shut off the computer monitor and turned away from it, signaling that this was a topic of extreme importance. The action didn't go unnoticed by either Clark or Oliver.

"Yes." The response almost sounded like a question.

"I'm knowingly breaking a promise I made to tell you this, but you are the only hope we have to finding out the mystery." Oliver held up his hand and waved as if to indicate to Chloe to get to the point.

"Out with it Chloe."

"Lois is…" She paused unsure of what exactly to say but opted for the straight truth. "Pregnant. Obviously this has made her determined to find out what happened during those missing weeks."

Clark dropped to the sofa next to Oliver and placed his palm on his forehead. He took in a deep breath, rubbed across his forehead as if it would help him think more clearly. "How long?"

"Um, two months or so."

"No, how long have you known?" Now he sounded aggravated, which caused Chloe to become defensive.

'Like I would just hide this from you, Clark.' Chloe thought, but deciding to say instead, "I just found out less than an hour ago."

"Which means Lois probably found out today. Oh, this is…Oh, God." The risk of hyperventilating became a reality for Clark… 'Remember to breath. In. Out. In. Out.'

"Clark, what are you not telling us?"

"It's me. I'm the father." He hadn't actually meant to say it so soon, but it was as if a shortly carried burden had been dropped off. 'I'm going to be a father.'

"Well… That explains some things. At least we know she wasn't 'harmed' during this exchange." Chloe turned sharply and narrowed her eyes at Clark, "Wait! Future Clark didn't even think about protection?"

"Damn it, Chloe. I don't think I have control over the actions of a Clark in the future. It was so… desolate there… and seeing Lois. I guess he, I, needed that. Hell, I don't know."

"You have to tell her, Clark. Everything." Oliver finally joined the conversation, his eye also narrowed at Clark, though more out of scrutiny than anger.

"I know."

"Soon." Chloe added. "This isn't one of those things we can brush off or lie about. I mean, it's your child."

"My child." His expression shifted from angst to wonder. "She's going to have my child. Chloe, get the team together in three days, same time. We're bringing in Lois."

He sat at his desk later that day, staring at the female across from him. She was worried, her brow creased in concern. Every now and then she would place her hand on her belly and it caused a soft smile to form on his face. "Lois." She looked up, blinking as though she had been unfocused. "You alright?"

"Dandy, Smallville. Finishing up the article. Metropolis Mayor Makes Money. Why do they always go with counterfeiting?" Deflection. She felt guilty not telling Clark about her condition, but knew she had to find out the facts first.

Clark thought about the baby and then, shifting his gaze to his computer, his mind wandered. The Kandorians were still to be dealt with. Lois would have to stay away from Kryptonite. Lois had to learn what Kryptonite was. She had to be protected, which was a hard enough task considering her nature to fall into trouble.

"Kent. My office." Tess shouted across the bullpen, walking towards her office. Clark followed, casting a worried glance back at Lois. As soon as he entered he noticed Oliver Queen sitting in front of his boss's desk.

"Oliver Queen." Clark nodded with his greeting.

"Mr. Kent." They shook hands and Clark seated himself beside Oliver, turning his attention to Tess.

"Mr. Queen has asked us for a reporter to help investigate some embezzling going on within Luthor Corp. Normally we would handle this more internally, but I decided that I want you and Lois on the assignment. Make an example out of those who think they can do this to my company. Got it?"

"Understood." Clark turned to cast a quick glance at Oliver.

"Make sure your partner's head is in it. She has not been herself for the last couple of days. Oliver needs you to meet with him tomorrow. He will tell you where."

"We're on it." Clark stood and stepped out of the office, Oliver following behind.

"Tomorrow? I asked for three days." Clark said in a hiss, trying to keep other people from overhearing.

"So you could talk yourself out of it. I don't think so. Besides, the entire team has an opening tomorrow and not in three days. See you there." Oliver looked smug with his decision while Clark looked frustrated.

Clark, cursing under his breath, approached Lois, placing a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, knocking over her coffee. "Damn it, Smallville." He grabbed the cup, setting it upright and pulling up a chair to sit beside her.

"Tess just gave us an assignment. We need to go see Oliver Queen tomorrow." She stopped blotting at the coffee on the desk.  
"Why couldn't she have briefed me too? Trying to get promoted behind my back, Smallville?" Brow raised, Lois finally seemed to focus on him for the first time that day.

"Never, Lane. She thinks you have something on your mind and wanted to give me the details to relay to you, that's all." Lois scoffed.

"You're right. I do have something on my mind." Clark's attitude shifted from nonchalance to anticipation. "I'm… hungry. Feed me farm boy."

They went out to dinner, able to enjoy a workless night over Italian food. Lois, her mind occupied, never noticed how Clark stared at her intensely. He watched her, then turned his gaze down to her stomach, squinting as he focused. In an image of black and grey he saw it. Tiny, vulnerable, yet the start of life. It was his baby and ironically he wished he had been a greater part of its creation.

Sure, his future self had been part of that experience plenty, but to him it was all fuzzy memories that weren't even really his. He imagined that she felt a sort of violation. Not knowing what had happened and how she came to be pregnant. He was still staring when he heard her clear her throat.

"Clark? You there?" Like he had done to her earlier, she was waving her hand in front of his face.

"Sorry. Just… preoccupied I guess. Assignment tomorrow." Tomorrow was going to hectic and new territory. _'You have no idea, Lois. Not yet anyway.'_

"Thanks for dinner." She smiled, an unworried, genuine smile. Slowly they began the walk to her car. Clark placed his hand on her elbow as they stood on the sidewalk, grasping lightly to turn her around. She noticed that his gaze had intensified and she wasn't sure if it made her feel warm or uncomfortable. "Clark?"

He slid the hand from her elbow to her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. The mother of his child. Their relationship had been rocky for a while after his self imposed isolation and they were finally on even ground as far as their friendship was concerned. Tomorrow that would change. Whether it would be for the better or worse was still in the air. But for tonight, it was just them and Clark couldn't help himself.

He looked into her eyes, wishing he could read her thoughts again. He knew she was not comfortable with silences, but for the life of him he wouldn't utter a word to break it. His gaze shifted down, from her eyes, to her cute nose that always followed a story, to the even sexier lips that got her into trouble. He moved forward, ignoring the widening of her eyes that showed she was startled. His lips touched hers and those memories that weren't even his own seemed more like they were.

She was so soft and inviting, one of her hands moved to his shoulder, either to push him away or clutch at his jacket he wasn't sure. A soft sound escaped her mouth and Clark tilted his head and deepened the kiss, one hand going to her back, the other curving around the nape of her neck.

A sound in the distance… far distance, distracted him and he unwillingly broke the kiss, turning his face against her hair as his breathing steadied. "Lois." His own voice sounded deeper, huskier, and as she loosened the grip on his jacket he felt the loss and regretted breaking the silence. Another cry for help and he dug into her jacket pocket to pull out her keys only to hand them to her. "Be safe and I will see you tomorrow morning at the Planet."

"Clark," Lois looked up, but he was already gone. Damn him and his disappearing act. Who is he to just kiss her senseless and just run off? The more she dissected it the more she thought a relationship wouldn't work, especially not with the secret she carried. Why did he have to kiss her in the first place? Sure they had been doing great and have had their moments, but tonight it seemed something was different. As thought he wasn't thinking about anything but her.

Tomorrow. She would find out tomorrow.


	3. Introduced

"You're late, Smallville." He looked at his watch and slapped his forehead dramatically.

"You're early… earlier than usual. Eager for the story I suppose?" He knew why she was there, but the kiss was something he didn't want to talk about just yet. "I spoke with Oliver this morning. He told me where we were meeting for the info on the story."

"So that's where you were, huh?" Doubt was evident in her voice.

"Yep." Actually, he had been putting out a fire and trying to track down the arsonist hiding in suicide slums, but the time for truth would come soon enough.

Lois's phone rang and shooting a suspicious glance Clark's way she answered, "Lane."

_"Miss Lane, this is Dr. Geoffrey's office. We have set you up with an appointment next week. Is Thursday at 4 o'clock good for you?"_

"That would be great, thanks. Do I need to bring anything?"

_"Just your person, we look forward to seeing you."_ The line disconnected and Lois felt like reality was crashing down on her. A baby, inside her, was slowly growing. She had wanted to call her father, but it was something she was putting off until her first appointment. Lucy would want to know as well and eventually she would have to tell Clark. It wasn't like this was something she could hide forever.

"You're zoning out again, Lois. You want to go get some coffee before we meet Oliver?"

"No coffee. I think a donut would be good though." Even though she had little knowledge of pregnancy she knew a lot of caffeine wasn't good for the baby and she had already had one cup that morning.

Clark grabbed his jacket and Lois took the moment to notice what he was wearing. A new black button up shirt, a grey tie, and slacks. A little dressier than usual. There was a moment of discomfort after they entered the elevator and during a moment of impulse Lois hit the stop button.

"Um. Lois?" Clark shifted nervously, hoping that she wouldn't start questioning his actions of the night before.

"Alright Smallville. What's the deal? We share dinner and then you go and kiss me?" He exhaled and took in her expression. She was confused and he didn't blame her. They hadn't been dating exactly, but his attraction to her was undeniable. And they had even had a heated kiss before.

"Can we talk about this after the meeting?" Pleading, his baby blues were widened and she wanted to revel in his uneasiness. She waved her hand over the stop button.

"Will you swear that we will talk about this later tonight?" Lois didn't want to let him go that easy, but she also knew Clark was fairly adept at obscuring the truth.

"Yes. I promise we will discuss this tonight. Let's go get your donut and my coffee and then we will do the interview and then we can talk." He was hiding something, of that she was sure. With reluctance she pressed the stop button, the elevator continued to move.

Maple donut eaten. Check. Clark's coffee gone. Check. Clark led the way, taking them in circles before they entered a building Lois had never been in. "Why the roundabout way getting here?"

"I didn't want anyone to see us. Come on." They entered a large service elevator and Clark reached over and lightly grasped her hand. "You're about to see something very important, Lois. I need you to trust me, okay?"

"You're kind of weirding me out here, Smallville. What is going on?" The elevator dinged and opened.

"You'll see." Then he stepped into Watchtower.

Oliver Queen, Arthur Curry, Bart Allen, Dinah Lance and Victor Stone stood in the room, greeting Clark as he stepped into the room. Chloe appeared from the upper deck, a somber smile on her face. "Lois, glad you could make it."

Clark turned to face his partner, "Welcome to Watchtower. Meet Metropolis's Heroes. "

"I thought we were here for a story."

"No story found here. I think Ollie here was giving us an opportunity to bring you in. This is sort of a cover so we could 'get some time off'. You know Green Arrow, and Aquaman. The short one is Bart, or while on duty, Impulse, Canary, AKA Dinah who has a set of pipes like you wouldn't believe, and Victor, or Cyborg. And then there is your cousin_, The_ Watchtower." Clark introduced them, one by one and turned around to face Lois, his back to the team.

"So, I get the superhero hideout, but how are you involved in all this."

"Go on Boyscout, you've already made it this far." Clark shot a stern look in Oliver's direction as he started to take off his tie. His gaze went back to Lois as he unbuttoned his shirt, slowly revealing the symbol on his undershirt.

Lois stared at him, her eyes shifting from his face to the S on his chest. There was complete silence until she started to laugh hysterically. "Come on! Seriously? Good one guys. You got me."

Clark sighed audibly, tossing the shirt onto the couch along with his tie. "She thinks this is a joke."

She choked on her laughter and expression shifted from amused to alarmed and then to angry. "You're serious. You're the blur?"

"Yes. There is more."

"More?" Her eyes widened and she looked at her cousin with an accusatory glare. "You knew this whole time?"

"Lois." Clark again, "She has known for years. Oliver has known since I ruined a well planned heist of his and I think the rest I pretty much fought… except the short one."

"Hey!" Bart had the nerve to sound offended, "We raced and I won., if I remember correctly."

"Lois, you need to sit down. I don't want you passing out." Clark reached out and grasped her hand, attempting to lead her to the couch. She dug her heels into the ground.

"I think I will stand." He should have known she would be stubborn, his eyes shifting from her face to her stomach.

"Alright. I'm just concerned for the baby."

Lois gasped and turned another angry glare at her cousin. "You promised!"

"Lois I had to tell him. He is the only one who knows what happened while you were gone."

"You promised me, knowing you were going to break it?" There was hurt in her voice, but it turned to anger as she faced Clark, "And you! You knew what happened to me during those weeks? Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"It's a long story, hence the reason we're on this case right now so I have time to explain things."

"Explain? You've been lying to me for years, Clark. You hid information that would have let me be at peace and you actually know why I am pregnant. How do you really think you can explain that?" There was a pause and then Lois said quietly, "You were never going to tell me, were you?"

He was taken aback by the question, but he wasn't going to lie. "No. The baby changes things."

"The baby! What about our friendship, Clark?"

"Lois, calm down. Can you please sit? The baby-"

"The baby is not any of your concern, Clark."

"It's mine!" There was complete silence until Clark's super-hearing picked up Bart whispering to Chloe.

"Maybe we should go…"

"No, there's more that we have to tell her before we leave." Clark briefly wondered what Chloe was referring to, but dismissed it when he saw the intense and disturbed glare coming from Lois.

Clark was still breathing heavily when Lois continued. "You… You had sex with me while I had amnesia?"

"No, Lois. _You_ had sex with _me_ when you went to the future."

"Oh, that's rich, Clark." Sarcasm that normally would have caused him to smile now caused him to become defensive.

"Damn it, Lois. You put on a ring, remember? That ring belongs to a group called the Legion. It's designed for time travel. You put it on and you were sent to a year in the future. Those memories were physically damaging. They had to be taken from you." Again he was pleading, trying to make her understand.

"Why is it that you are the only one who knows what happened?"

Clark took in a deep breath and began the fast paced explanation, "Well… Tess wanted to know what you saw so she sort of… kidnapped you. Chloe tracked you down, but there was kryptonite and I was stuck with the sensor and I was sort of thrown into your memories, which were not good, except for one, but we can talk about that later, and then when you woke up the memories were gone." He tensed, expecting her to yell or hit him, but she didn't do either. She walked to the couch and took a seat.

"I want to be certain." Determination was back in Lois's voice.

"What?" Confusion had returned to Clark's. There was no way to really prove that she had been in the future and if proof was what she wanted this was going to be far more difficult.

"I want to be certain that you are the father." Clark gritted his teeth, telling himself that he couldn't blame her for that.

"Was wondering when my job would be of use." A new voice, next to the entrance, caused Clark to turn and offer a small smile.

"Dr. Emil. Good to see you." They shook hands and then Clark turned to Lois. "Emil is going to test if you want to, but if the baby is mine then you need to see him for all your appointments. This child is going to be… special."

"I didn't know that a meteor mutation was genetic."

"I'm not meteor infected, Lois. I'm…. I'm not from this planet."

"What, that's crazy. Your parents-"

"Found me in a field after my ship crashed in Smallville. I was just a toddler then. No powers til' I was older. Speaking of which there's still more."

"Sorry to interrupt. The rest of the team has some stuff they want to talk about and I need to draw blood if you want this done by the end of the day." Chloe came down with a small iron box and handed it over to Dr. Emil. "Sit down, Clark." Emil set up his needles motioned for Clark to hold out his arm. He opened the box and the blue glow startled Clark. "How did you think I would be able to draw it, Clark?" He grinned and took some blood, placing the vial in a small lockable case.

"You know to be careful with that." Clark warned.

"Lois, you're up. I going to draw some fluid from you, it should be fairly painless and it's completely safe for the baby." They moved to another section of the tower, away from the eyes of the team and Clark took this as an opportunity to discuss strategy.

"You think this is going alright?" He spoke in a whisper, not wanting Lois to overhear them.

"Just fine, Clark. We need to talk about the Kandorians and it might be helpful if you can fill her in on the blanks. I don't think bad memories and 'oh we had sex' are enough. Also, you should warn her about Kryptonite."

"Clark, We were thinking about having dinner at the tower tonight. You game?" Men... always thinking about food. Clark didn't even look at the billionare as he responded.

"Yea, Oliver, that sounds good."

"Hey, slowpoke, how's Chloe been?" Bart's infatuation was one thing that always lightened the mood of the team.

"Taken, that's how. What have you been doing?" It had been a while since he had actually taken time to ask how the other members of the team were and he felt a moment of guilt at not asking earlier.

"Just, running around." Clark let out a short laugh, 'Clever… real Clever Bart.'

"Clark, my man, its nice having Lois on the home team, but I gotta say, you've been busy."

"Thanks Victor, I guess."

Chloe placed a hand on Clark's shoulder to draw his attention. "You know it is better this way. Lois will appreciate the quick tour in our lives." He nodded.

"All done down here." Dr. Emil waved Clark down, dropping his pen when Clark appeared behind him.

"So, when do the results come in?"

"I will be here for the dinner and I will let you know then."

"It's not for me, Emil." Clark looked over at Lois, an expression she couldn't name on his face. "I know what happened."

"Well, I still don't and this will solve some of the mystery."

"Fine. For now we are still going to cover the basis. We have more to show you." Clark waved Lois over to one of the terminals. It was flipping through the profiles of the Kandorians. "These are Kandorians, from Krypton. The same planet I am from. Before it was destroyed I was sent to Earth, along with a sphere that contained their blood. Essentially, they are clones of their former selves. When you went into the future they were ruling the planet. All my abilities, but lacking any compassion for the human race."

"So, again, how did you see what I saw?"

"When Tess had you set up in the lab, I was stuck with a sensor made of Kryptonite. I became locked into your memories, as though I was that Clark. We…um… had a moment before the final confrontation with the Kandorians. You got the ring and put it back on and were sent back."

"The baby," She placed a hand on her belly, looking down as it rested there. "Wait, what is Kryptonite?"

"Fragments from my home word, the green ones are deadly to me. Whatever you do, you need to try and stay away from them. If they can kill me then they can most likely kill our child." Clark's voice was hoarse, almost as though the suggestion was enough to put the child in danger. "The blue fragments, like the one Emil had earlier, take away my abilities. The red ones take away my inhibitions." He paused, remembering the red kryptonite experience with Lois and her lipstick.

"The black one causes me to have a sort of split personality experience. "

"That's a rainbow of Kryptonite, Smallville."

"Best to stay away from all of them." Clark warned, looking back at the monitor. "Right now I am working on finding a way to integrate the Kandorians into our society. They are still building their tower, but I have to stop it."

"Why."

"Because it gives the Kandorians their abilities and takes away mine. Lois, I was powerless when you traveled forward. I've been considering that it is the reason you are pregnant now. "

"Aside from us…" Lois made a slightly obscene hand motion.

"Lois, " He moved forward, not at super speed, but still fast enough to catch her off guard. Softly he cupped her cheek in his hand, "The Clark of the future was devastated by your disappearance. When you left our time it appeared as though you had been gone until you appeared in the future. You were missing for a year and my exact words were that I died the day you left. Don't belittle what happened between us just because you don't remember any more."

She was shocked, but also indignant, "Maybe if I still had the memories then I would feel differently about the situation, but I don't thanks to a certain someone."

He continued to rub his thumb against her cheek, "They were hurting you. You almost died that day. I did die and so did Chloe. Do you really want to remember that? You can make new memories now. Better ones. We can. This team is my family and now you're a part of it."

She seemed to calm, and with a sigh she rested her head on his hand and gave a slight nod. He wasn't forgiven, but for the moment he was excused. She couldn't stay angry with him forever for trying to protect her.

Laughter erupted from the other side of the room and they were drawn back to the group. Bart was wrestling with Victor, running circles around the cyborg. Oliver and Chloe were on the upper deck, stargazing or something. Dinah was on the phone setting up the order of pizza for that night, enough to feed the group of them, which was a considerable amount considering how much Bart ate.

Clark stood beside Lois, looking towards her and shooting her a smile as he reached over to clasp her hand. "Welcome to Watchtower."


	4. Home

"Bart, Pass the box of pepper- Thanks." Oliver propped his feet on the edge of the table only to have Chloe shove them off.

"Manners, geeze, Ollie. AC, stop pouring water all over yourself, it's getting on the floor! Victor, please stop tampering with my security. Lois, can you turn the music down over there? Bart, stop balancing on the balcony!" Chloe felt like the mother of five, not counting Clark or Dinah since they seemed to just observe rather than destroy. "This will be you one day." She shot a pitying glance at Clark.

"That it will be." A familiar voice, again at the entrance, caused the few at the table to turn and face him. Dr. Emil held a small metal case and made his way towards Clark. "Where's Lois?"

Clark vanished, only to reappear with a still dancing Lois Lane. "We're ready."

"Clark. You're the father. According to the DNA you will be having a girl. Congratulations." Clark stiffened. He hadn't thought about the gender. A girl would want to… date people… and rebel… and probably act a little like his cousin Kara. His eyes widened and he turned his gaze to Lois.

She was barely standing, gripping one of the chairs for support and placing her other hand across her stomach. A wave of dizziness crashed over her and she lost the strength in her legs. Though she had never truly doubted Clark she had considered other possible explanations. This evidence destroyed her other possibilities.

Clark swiftly placed an arm under her shoulders, the other going under her knees. "Lois?" Her head rolled back and her eyes closed. "Emil?" His gaze turned to the doctor, his tone concerned.

The doctor performed a quick assessment. "She'll be fine Clark. This is a lot for her to take in, so just take her home and let her rest. Tell her to come see me next week and I will get her medications and we will discuss some other necessities. Congratulations, Clark." Dr. Emil smiled, put down his case, and headed towards Victor and Bart.

"Thanks, Chloe. For everything." He paused and turned, still carrying the unconscious Lois. "I am taking her home. I will see you and Oliver tomorrow?"

"Yea. Take care of her, Clark." He nodded and carefully super-sped to the farm.

Gently, he placed her on the bed. With reverence he brushed stray hairs from her forehead, moving to take off her shoes and belt. She still wore her jacket and slacks and after careful consideration he removed them, leaving on her shirt and underwear. Quietly he disrobed down to his boxers, climbing into the bed beside her.

"Clark." A soft whisper of a sound drew him closer. Pulling the covers higher, he moved in behind her. He knew she would probably be angry in the morning, but he couldn't bear to leave her. The recent events had caused those borrowed memories to be pulled closer to the surface. He couldn't lose her, wouldn't leave her side unless necessary.

"I'm here." He whispered back, reaching his arm across her to pull her against him. It felt familiar, but most of all it felt right.

Lois was warm. Before her eyes had opened she noticed she was laying on something that was generating heat. She shifted slightly, freezing when she heard a noise beneath her. "Not enough time." She was on her stomach, spread across Clark. One of his hands was firmly on her butt, the other was on the nape of her neck and it seemed like both were softly kneading.

"Clark?" He stirred, tightening his hold on her and pulling her down to him.

"I died…" She understood he was dreaming, and gently moved to detangle herself from him.

As she moved off to his side he rolled towards her, the hand that was on her butt, finally moving to slide up her side. "Woah, buddy." She turned to look behind her at the clock. It was only 4 in the morning. Annoyed she turned back, only to see Clark's lips descending towards her. His lips touched her neck, a sensitive spot for her. A gasp escaped her and Clark was mumbling against her neck. "Don't leave…"

"Clark." A shiver ran through her as his lips touched her ear.

"Lois." Spoken softly, slightly slurred. Finally he stilled one hand on her side, the other on the nape of her neck. "Lois?"

"Could you stop molesting me while you're still sleeping, Smallville?" Lois twisted out from under him, sitting on the edge of the bed, a sheet covering her legs.

"Sorry. I was… dreaming." There was a soft smile on his face, until the moment he looked at the clock. He groaned and put a hand over his eyes. "Geeze, Lois. You couldn't have woke me up three hours from now? The sun's not even up."

"Woah there buster. I wasn't the one doing the lips on neck and other areas dance alright." She turned away, hiding the pink blush that crept across her cheeks.

Clark finally moved, sitting next to her back. She was startled when he placed a hand on her belly. "She's going to be something, isn't she." The whisper was almost reverent in nature. But his tone changed to something akin to regret. "I shouldn't have slept here last night."

"It's alright, Clark. We're… entering new territory, but I think in the future we should wear better pajamas." She waited a beat, "And you probably shouldn't undress me when I'm not awake." She faked a punch at his arm.

He shot her a grin and looked back at the clock. "Why don't you get some more sleep? I can get started on chores early." While standing he gently pushed on her shoulder, urging her to lie down. "Get some rest." And then he kissed her on the forehead.

"Stupid idea, Clark. Yea, sleeping in the bed with a half naked Lois and thinking nothing crazy will happen. Riggghhhtt." He grumbled to himself, tossing the hay. **Crack.** "Great. Breaking the barn, too. Smooth. Real Smooth." Finishing up, he dusted off his hands and walked back to the house, still frustrated.

Entering the house he smelled bacon and fear followed. Lois was... cooking? Had anything caught fire? He glanced into the kitchen, relieved and smiling as he heard her cuss at something in the pan. Silently, he moved to stand behind her. "I don't think it can hear you, Lois."

Startled, she dropped the spatula and shot him an angry glare. "Clark!" She punched his shoulder and two things happened in that moment. Lois rubbed her fist and Clark rubbed his arm, staring at her wide eyed. He had actually felt that.

"We need to take you to Dr. Emil. You're getting stronger." Their new territory had just expanded.

"That hurt like hell, Smallville. I doubt that." She was still rubbing her hand.

"Hit me again." It was a strange demand, but the look on his face said that he meant it.

"Yea, and purposely feel this pain again. I don't think so, buddy." He shook his head. Lois understood he wasn't going to let this go.

"Just a shove, Lane. Come on." Taunts now? Her eyes narrowed at him and she pushed at his shoulders, using her palms. He barely stumbled, but again he was wide eyed… and then he grinned.

"I bet this is a result of the baby." Lately, Clark had the uncanny ability to speak before thinking.

"You think, Smallville?" This was accompanied with a roll of the eyes.

"I wonder if you are going to get all my abilities." Curiosity and fear. Last time a female had his abilities they went psychotic. Actually, all the times someone had his abilities they went psychotic.

Since his fear of the kitchen burning outweighed the fear of her having powers… at the moment, he decided to table that conversation until they were back at Watchtower. Spatula in hand he proceeded to dispose of the burnt bacon and selected pancakes.

The phone started to ring and Clark casted a glance in Lois direction, "Can you get that?"

"Kent Residence." Cheerfully she answered, her expression turning into one of panic.

'Oh no…' They thought, simultaneously.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers. I didn't expect this many, but I am certainly glad that you took the time to let me know how you felt.

**TaraLittle** – Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the confidence boost

**doomsday2012** – Will keep on writing until it ends. I feel a project should never go unfinished

**Luckyjasonfan** – The timeline is a little more condensed between the beginning of the season until Pandora (Since it was longer than two months in the show, but I forced it to fit into the story's design). I should have put up an AU warning though I am sticking to the basic premise that they (Lois and Clark) had not began to 'date'. With the dialog, I do admit I get carried away while writing it and tend to miss the fact that I don't show who is speaking. I greatly appreciate the heads up so I can go back and fix those errors (Actually working on that after posting this). Thank you .

**Hot-chocolate329 **– I will keep updating as often as I can. Hopefully a chapter a week if not more.

**IceQueen825 **– Another confidence booster. You guys are great :D .


	5. New Threat

**Last Time - **The phone started to ring and Clark casted a glance in Lois direction, "Can you get that?"

"Kent Residence." Cheerfully she answered, her expression turning into one of panic.

* * *

"Mrs. K, it's good to hear your voice too." At this, Clark engaged his super-hearing.

"_I was hoping to catch Clark and let him know I would be coming home next week. Just for a few days while the senate is in recess." _Immediately, Clark shared Lois's panic. He was planning on waiting a little while longer to tell his mom, until he could handle other parts of his and Lois's relationship. Parts that needed to be more… long term.

"Let me go fetch him." Lois held the phone away from her, covering the mouthpiece, "Clark!" As papers went flying she dropped the phone and growled at him, "Really, Smallville? It was like ten feet away."

He picked the phone off the floor and mimicked Lois by putting his hand on the mouthpiece, "Do you want me to tell her, because she might get a little curious as to why you now know the Kent family secret. Just stay quiet for a minute." He uncovered the phone and put it to his ear, "Hi, Mom." He wondered if there were burns beginning to form from the evil stare he knew Lois was giving him.

'Tell me to stay quiet? Just wait until you get off that phone. Super-strength just might come in handy.' She thought.

"_I was just letting Lois know that I would be in town next week. It will just be a few days, but I wanted to give you guys a heads up so I could see you while I am there." _Lois watched as a small transformation took place before her. Clark relaxed and a soft smile appeared on his face. He missed his mother and it wasn't something he could hide. Though Lois had never found herself an affectionate person she placed a hand on his shoulder, silently telling him that she understood.

"We would love that. I'll take some time off work so I can be here." Clark had not seen her in months and had not had one of her pies in weeks. Though he knew when she arrived he would have to tell her about Lois… at some point.

"_I wish I had more time to talk, sweetie, but I need to get back. You and Lois stay safe." _It was like Martha had a sixth sense about the two of them and Clark grinned, looking to Lois's belly.

"We will. Love you."

"_Love you too."_ Click. Clark placed the phone on the receiver, letting out a large exhale of air.

His relief was short lived as Lois began to become more animated, "Stay Quiet? Who do you think you're talking to, Kent? Huh?" Her passion was one of the things that drew him to her and in that moment he didn't care that she was angry. He smiled and gripped her by the arm, pulling her to him in a quick motion. Her hazel eyes were sparkling even as he dipped his head down to hers, touched her lips with his own. The kiss was better than the one they shared after their dinner. Better than the one she had given him before her seizure. It was as though every moment they shared was greater than the one before.

Her anger dissipated as he deepened the kiss, tilted his head and ran his hands up her back. All the worry seemed to fade away. There were no Kandorians to fight. No unsafe future. There was no one but him and her.

He broke the kiss and she took in a deep lungful of air. Their moment was over and even though all the worries came back to him, he held her close and knew they would be alright. He would make sure of it.

"Don't think you're off the hook for that, Smallville." She whispered against his neck and he couldn't help the deep laugh that escaped him.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Later that day they entered Watchtower, hand in hand, looking for the sole resident. "Chloe?" Clark called out and then used his x-ray vision to find her. She was on the upper deck, focused on the computer monitor.

"Come on up, guys. I've found something strange in the system." With a brow raised, Clark started up the stairs, turning to give Lois a worried glance. He knew he was being overprotective, but he didn't even want her walking up the spiral staircase. 'She can handle it.' He told himself and continued to where Chloe was sitting.

"Remember how Victor was fondling my security system? Well, he touched someone else. Someone has been piggybacking on our info." She was typing rapidly and neither Clark nor Lois could understand what was happening on the screen.

"You should have called me." Clark reprimanded, agitated that Chloe didn't think this was something important enough to earn a phone call. He placed a hand on the back of her chair and squinted his eyes at the screen, as if that would help him comprehend it.

"I think I know what I am doing, Clark. Just wait until I can finish explaining." Chloe tilted her head to shoot him a pointed glare. "Whoever has been doing this doesn't seem to mind that they are leaving a signature behind." She pulled up a photo of a chess piece. It was the queen, but painted in a deep red color. "There's a red queen watching us."  
"We have to find out who it is." The demand was obvious and Chloe stepped away from the terminal, looking from Clark to Lois. Lois chose that moment to speak up.

"So, you're saying that someone out there knows all about this superhero club?" Chloe nodded in response to her cousin's question.

"Whoever they are, they seem more interested in the Kandorians than us. Most of the files they have pulled have been the profiles we have of them." All this information disturbed Clark. Now he had another unknown entity to worry about. Double all the danger with Lois and their baby.

"So, now we have to establish if they are friend or foe. Have you seen Oliver today?" So far there had been no sign of the Green Arrow that Clark could see.

"Not today. He is on patrol right now, which is strange since it's mid day, but I think he was just tired of his huge office at LuthorCorp." Chloe shrugged with her response and then turned to pick up two folders sitting on the desk. She handed one to Lois and one to Clark. "These are your quick reference sheets to Kryptonians and Watchtower." Clark was speed-reading them and seemed to nod his approval. "They're for Lois, Clark. I just gave you a copy in case there are discrepancies. They need to stay at Watchtower, but while you are here you should read up."

Lois gave a sigh that indicated she was displeased. "Homework? Come on, Clo." Reluctantly, she took the folder and headed down the stairs, towards the couch. Clark watched her until she was seated.

"We need to take out that tower, Chloe. Kandorians are the priority now. We will deal with the Red Queen when the time comes. When is the tower scheduled for completion?" They were back on the computer. Chloe was typing and Clark stood behind her in silence.

"The tower should be up in two days." The construction had gone faster than they had expected and even Chloe voice held surprise.

"Lois should stay here tonight. I know what I need to do." Determined once again, Clark headed down the stairs, leaving Chloe behind with a solemn expression on her face.

"Lois." She looked up from the files and frowned when she saw Clark's face. He didn't look like the farm boy she had come to know, but instead the brooding side of him was showing. "We should go to The Planet. Work on our," He did imaginary quotes in the air, "Story."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I posted a note to all my reviewers at the end of Chapter 4. Thank you for the feedback :)

To my new reviewers

**Monaivendork - **Thank you for bringing up the kiss in Idol. I included a reference to it in this chapter so they did kiss in Idol (in the story as well). I appreciate the review and thanks again. :)


	6. Rising Powers

**Last time** - "Lois." She looked up from the files and frowned when she saw Clark's face. He didn't look like the farm boy she had come to know, but instead the brooding side of him was showing. "We should go to The Planet. Work on our," He did imaginary quotes in the air, "Story."

They had yet to take seats at their desks when they were approached by Tess. "Kent. Lane. My office." They both looked to one another then set off. Lois walked behind Clark. Still feeling like she owed him for telling her to be quiet she poked him in the back with her finger. He let out a hiss and looked over his shoulder to glare at her.

"Geeze, Lois. What was that for?" Her strength was about the same as it had been earlier that morning and he wondered how often it would increase.

"You know what." She emphasized the what, giving him a smug look and grinned. As they entered their boss's office her expression shifted into one of professionalism.

"Have a seat." Tess waved her hand, indicating to the chairs. "Have you found out about the embezzling yet?"

"We're still chasing down some leads, but we're under the impression that it wasn't one of your employees. This changes it from embezzlement to theft." A frown formed on her face as Clark gave her this news.

"If it's a matter of theft then It might be in the interest of LuthorCorp to not print this. You have a week." Clark gave a grunt as Tess waved them off. He was prepared to leave when Lois gripped his wrist.

"Miss Mercer. Clark and I are going to be taking a few days off next week. We will get you the story before then." Their boss raised a brow and looked from Clark to Lois then back to Clark, as if sizing them up.

"Two of my best investigators out at the same time? Going to the same place?" Her implication was clear and Lois brushed back her hair in a nonchalant motion.

"Maybe. I just wanted to give you a heads up." With that Lois left the room, leaving Clark to follow.

"I was going to ask after we turned in the story, Lois. Now this gives her additional time to get involved with…" He waved a hand between them. Tess had been a situation all of her own and Clark still wasn't certain how he should judge her. She had been hinting at his true origins for quite some time now and it was something he had yet to bring up to Lois.

"And? Clark, I'm having your kid. No, I'm not ready to tell the entire office, but at some point it will be obvious what is going on with…" She imitated Clark's hand motion by moving hers back and forth between them.

"So, don't you think it would be best to try and do these things separately? Like turning in Paid Time Off to the HR office like everyone else." He made a point, but Lois, being stubborn as usual, shrugged him off.

"Whatever, Smallville. Let's just do what we had originally planned tonight. You said we were going to see Dr. Emil." He shook his head, as if disagreeing, but as they sat down at their desks he leaned over towards her.

"I have something to take care of tonight. Emil is going to be at Chloe's place so you will have to manage on your own. Even if I wanted to be there, I can't." His possessive nature was something Lois had hardly ever seen. She knew it was because she was pregnant, but she also wanted to believe that it had to do with her and not just the baby. Instead of speaking she just nodded and turned to her computer.

Together they wrote what some of the story, using the information that Oliver had given them the day before. Clark, feeling weary, leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. There was still missing information that Oliver wasn't sharing with them, but with some prodding he felt that Lois and him could get to the bottom of it. Juggling their jobs and their current situation was difficult enough without the added weight of what he planned to do that night.

Solemnly he looked at his watch. "It's time to call it a night, Lois. I will walk you over to Chloe's." She raised her head to look at him and even without knowing all they had before them she still would have seen the weight he carried.

"Okay." No argument, no controversy. She stood and turned off her computer placing her hand into the one he offered. They drove in silence.

"Where are you going tonight?" She asked as they exited the elevator at Watchtower.

"Wherever I am going, I wish you could be with me." She felt a tug on her hand and looked back to see that he had stopped walking. He hadn't acknowledged the others in the room, his gaze intent on her. "The things that I do are to keep the ones I love safe. There's no one more important to me than you, even if my obligations take me away." Then he closed the distance between them and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. Her eyes had closed and when she opened them he was nowhere to be seen.

Clark stood at the top of LuthorCorp. He had been x-raying the tower for the past hour, waiting for the personnel inside to leave. Wearing his seal he looked to the skies, as if there was something there that could give him the strength he needed. He has always known that it would come down to destroying the tower. Destroying the building that would eventually lead to the Kandorian's rule was something he had not taken lightly. He thought of Lois and his child. He thought of Chloe, Oliver, the team, his family, his mother, and those that had passed years ago.

He x-rayed one more time and then proceeded to burn the building to the ground.

Lois was lying on an examination table, casting an annoyed glance between Chloe and Emil. "How much longer is this going to take?" They had been doing tests on her since her arrival, which had been almost two hours earlier.

"At least you don't have to do this at a hospital, Lo." Chloe said, giving her a pointed look. Dr. Emil arrived with a stack of papers and handed them over to Chloe. "And, we're done. What did you find out?"

Emil adjusted his glasses, folded his arms over his chest and looked to Lois. "We have strength and hearing so far. Her skin is just slightly stronger than that of a normal human. She is more responsive than normal, but not speed yet. No x-ray vision and no heat vision. Her blood responds to green and blue kryptonite. No results on the red and I'm not willing to test it on her person. I estimate that in another month she will be as strong as Clark."

"What about the baby?" Lois asked, slightly annoyed that he didn't mention the being growing inside of her.

"The baby is perfectly healthy. It's too early to get enough of a sample to do any testing. I doubt the child will have any abilities until it's at least a toddler. I think your body is just reacting to protect the child so once you have her, your abilities will most likely fade." She hopped off the table, her bare feet cold as they touched the ground. "Just don't get carried away." Dr. Emil warned, rolling the equipment over to the storage unit at the far end of Watchtower.

"He's right, Lois. There have been others who adopted Clark's powers and they always seemed to… stray from their moral compass." Just as Chloe finished they heard a woosh sound and they both turned startled towards the door.

"It's done." Clark said, his expression a mixture of sadness and victory. It was a strange and grim look to see on him.

Chloe gave him a nod of approval and then turned to Lois, jerking her thumb in Clark's direction. "Why don't you two go home for the night. We've done all the tests we can and you can tell Clark all the news."

Grabbing her purse, Lois stood and walked over to Clark, placing a hand on his arm. "Are you alright, Clark?" He nodded, staying silent. With a gentle ease he picked her up and cradled her in his arms, speeding back to the farm.

"At least we don't have to worry about carpooling." Lois said as he placed her on her feet. She was dizzy immediately and gripped his shoulder so she could remain steady.

"You okay?" The concern in his voice was easily heard, his eyes wide as he looked from her face to her belly.

"Just a little motion sickness I think." From her purse she pulled out the folder that Chloe had given her earlier. Her 'cheat sheets'.

"Those were supposed to be left at Watchtower." Another Clark reprimand, accompanied with a disappointed raised brow.

"I hardly spend any time there. How can I study if I don't have them? Duh." She sat on the couch and opened the folder, reviewing the sheets one by one. "I'll keep them with me and we can put them in the barn with all your other goodies I'm sure you keep out there." She knew she had won when Clark sighed and gave a slight smile.

"Yea. Just stay away from any small iron boxes. I don't need you being exposed to Kryptonite." At this Lois proceeded to tell Clark the information the Doctor had given her. He listened intently, nodding for her to continue on occasion. He worried about her body sustaining the use of his powers as it had ultimately led to the death of his father. When she finished he looked over to the clock, reading the red digits. It was close to midnight.

"We should get to bed." Mentioning the b word he flushed, thinking of the night before. "Separate beds this time." And then he grinned, holding out a hand to help her up.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **More replies to my reviewers (You guys are great!)

**Monaivendork** - Spoilers til Pandora, minus the Clark and Lois starting to date, and, yep, It goes AU from there. I am sticking with the basic storyline since the Kandorians still need to be dealth with and a few other subplots going in there.

**Hot-chocolate329 **- Thanks for another review. Glad you are enjoying the story! Will update again within the next few days. :)

**IceQueen825 **- I like writing the dialog between the two since I feel I can keep them IC pretty easily. More CLOIS coming up.

**TaraLittle -** Looking forward to Martha's visit myself. Haven't written it yet so we will see how it goes :).

Again, you guys are great! Am still working on making the chapters longer, little by little.


	7. Diplomacy

**Author's Note: **This chapter is primarily about the continuing of subplots. It is a CLOIS story so that is my primary focus, but I do have to talk about what is going on around them. Hope you enjoy and sorry in advance that it might be a little rushed.

* * *

**Last time- **"We should get to bed." Mentioning the b word he flushed, thinking of the night before. "Separate beds this time." And then he grinned, holding out a hand to help her up.

Upstairs, he made the bed for Lois in his room while she took a shower. It was a strange task, but one that he felt would distract him. Lately he had been drawn to Lois in a more… intimate manner. Every touch they shared was something he stored away, every look she gave him. They had been in a state of limbo for the past few days, even before he had known about the baby.

He had known for some time now that he had feelings for Lois. She was his coworker, his counterpart, and a never-changing part of his life. She was there when he had returned from his self-imposed exile and she was there despite the times he had pushed her away. And now, she was still there, through all the lies and the danger. Her strength gave him strength and finally he concluded that she was the best part of him.

He heard the door to the bathroom open and he moved quietly into his mother's room to get himself ready for bed. He had never liked to wear pajamas, but opted for a pair of pants and a blank undershirt.

After finishing his shower he made his way to his room. Lois, holding the folder, was sleeping soundly. She had also gone the pajama route, a matching set of satin. His heart skipped a beat as he stood in the doorway, wanting to move closer, yet afraid to ruin the moment with noise. Silently he treaded forward, leaning over her to pull the sheet to her neck and place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

In her sleep she sighed, rolled over and touched her lips to his wrist where it rested on the bed. He shivered, closed his eyes and with an iron will he walked from the room.

_Lois walked beside him, holding his hand and laughing softly. She placed her free hand on her belly; the baby would be born soon. Clark knelt down and raised her shirt, placing a kiss gently on her skin, just above where the baby rested. His hands cradled it tenderly. He reached for her hand again, softly brushing his fingers over her ring. It was simple white gold band, he wore a matching one._

_Together they walked down the street towards the daily planet. A sharp cry of pain sounded from behind him, an, alarmed, he turned to see Lois writhing on the ground. "Lois!" Within moments he was also on the ground, his blood boiling. Kryptonite. _

_"It's an abomination, Clark." A voice he hadn't heard in years pierced through his agony. It seemed to go on for hours._

_"No!" As he opened his eyes he looked up to the grinning face of Lex Luthor._

_"Clark!"_

"Clark!" Something was pushing down on his shoulder, shaking him fiercely. He was breathing heavily, gasping for air. "Clark!" Reaching out, he clasped his hand around her arm. Lois. He could hear her heartbeat and it seemed to sooth him.

When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. "Lois." He pulled her to him, wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck. There was wetness on his face, from tears he was certain he had shed during his nightmare. Her hands were softly stroking his back, calming him. They didn't speak, but simply held one another. She shifted, turning into him since her current position was uncomfortable.

"I'm here." Clark didn't want to dissect what was happening. He just felt her, tucked her into him so she rested with her head on his arm and then placed his other hand on her hip. They were chest to chest and even though he found it intimate he didn't find it overly sexual.

His hand slid down to her thigh. With ease he guided her leg over his own, bringing them closer together. He could hear Lois's heartbeat pick up pace. "Easy." A faint whisper and she seemed to calm. Together, their breathing steadied and they slowly drifted away into sleep.

There was a noise, directly to his left, that startled him awake. Lois made a soft moaning noise and with a confused look he gazed upon her. She was turned on her side facing him, but her back was slightly arched, bringing her hips closer to his own. Considering it was early, his first reaction was to stay where he was. Recalling the events of the morning before, he weighed his choice of actions carefully.

He could get out of bed, and let her finish her dream in peace. He could wake her, and let her feel embarrassed. He chose another option. His right hand had been resting on her hip, but very gently he slid it across the satin, up her side, crossing over her arm, and then to the back of her neck.

Leaning forward, he looked from her closed eyes to her lips, which were slightly parted and every now and then releasing the most amusing sounds. He placed a feather light kiss on her lips. "Lois." Her eyes fluttered open and, though they were half-lidded, she seemed to look at him like she was still dreaming.

"Clark?" Her breath mingled with his as he was still close to her.

"I'm awake this time." And then he lowered his lips to hers once again. This kiss was deeper and her response was more than he had ever hoped for. She gripped his hair with one hand and his backside with the other. He didn't think about the fact that they had actually dated, or the fact that the child rushed their relationship. He simply thought about pulling her closer, letting her feel how much he wanted her.

"I want you." They may have been his thoughts, but it was her words that he felt against his neck, as she sensual kissed a sensitive spot. Taking in a quick intake of air, he moved his hand from the back of her neck to slide it down, from between her shoulder blades to the curve of her back.

He rested his hand there, pausing while his mouth played by her ear. It was something he could tell she enjoyed, given the sounds she was making.

There was a push against his chest and he tilted his head to look down at her hands as they fumbled to pull up his shirt. It was on the floor a moment later, and he sighed when he felt her hands run across his chest. Grabbing one of her hands he held it down, pressing it into the pillow. As she looked to where their hands joined he took advantage of her available neck.

Yes, it was sensitive. He kissed a trail from her neck, to just under her ear, and then to her jaw where he waited by her lips. A silent question was in his eyes, asking if she wanted to continue, and when she raised her head to meet him, he lost what little restraint he had left.

His hand left her to go to the buttons on her pajama top. One by one he flipped them open, letting the cloth lay in place. Placing a hand under her shoulder he rolled them over, resting on his back and giving her the top position.

It was in that moment, as he started to run his hands down the satin covering her chest that he realized why they couldn't continue. His eyes darted up to her hazel gaze. "I love you." His lust was irrelevant in comparison to that fact.

She stilled her own hands, which had been gliding across his abs. "What?" She lifted a hand and he reached out and clasped it, pulling her down to him.

"I want this. Believe me when I tell you that there is nothing else I would rather do right now than this," He paused, closing his eyes tight, "But I also want this to be on our own terms." When he opened his eyes he found her staring down at him, and then she closed the distance between them, kissing him gently, softly.

"I understand," She said, when they broke apart from one another. As she leaned up she was careful to avoid touching his obvious 'want' of her. One by one he reclosed the buttons on her top and tenderly moved her to rest beside him. "What time is it?"

"About 6 in the morning, time for chores. Get some more sleep; I will wake you in a few hours."

Another moment together that he stored away in his memory.

It was two days later, their story was complete and it was a restless Friday. Clark had found the funds and with evidence in hand he stormed into Watchtower. "Chloe!" The short blonde turned her head, startled and looked over to an angry Clark. She reacted defensively.

"Yes, Clark?" As he approached her he thrust a stack of papers towards her, the glare in his eyes never fading.

"Why? Those weapons are designed to kill me. Why would you stockpile them all over the country?" She held her hands up, telling him to calm down with her actions.

"I was going to tell you-"

He cut her off, too angry to listen, and grabbed her shoulders. "When? When I found out about it, or when you planned to annihilate people like me?"

"Calm down, Boyscout." Oliver. Clark hadn't even noticed him on the upper deck.

"You're a part of this too?" His accusatory tone caused Oliver to get angry, where Chloe had been defensive.

"Get your head out of your ass, Clark. You saw what happened when the Kandorians got their powers. While you were busy being diplomatic, Chloe was busy preparing." Oliver could tell he was getting through to Clark so he pushed forward. "Did you ever wonder why you were given this assignment? I need you to turn a different version over to Tess so she stops digging into this. You know she has involvement with Zod."

Clark took in a deep breath and released his grasp on Chloe. "Next time, you should warn me in advance. What do you think would have happened if I had stumbled upon the actual containers?"

"Well… we assumed it would go a little like this." Oliver said, handing a folder to Clark. "Just because we hadn't told you, doesn't mean that we weren't planning on it. We just wanted to know what the Kandorians were going to do next."

"I think it's about time I find out." Clark said, though he was still angry he handed all the documents over that had led him to Chloe. He would use Oliver's story, but only to protect the weapons. Their actions showed that they didn't completely trust his judgment and he wondered if they were right.

RAO Industries was temporarily shut down after their tower had been destroyed, but Clark had seen people coming and gone. A few of them he had already met, given passports to, but he was still waiting to face one individual. Zod would be aware that Clark was the one to destroy the tower, but he was gambling on the fact that Zod wouldn't be honest to the other Kandorians.

"Zod." Clark looked to the group of people who were facing away from him and they slowly turned. A couple of females smiled in his direction, but he knew it was forced. They had been relying on the tower to give them powers, but their hopes had crashed along with it.

"Kal El. I've been waiting to see when you would show up." Zod was furious, but he hid his anger well.

"I've wanted to talk to you since the accident, but there have been some complications." Clark knew it was a lame excuse, but as Zod walked away from the rest of his people he motioned for Clark to follow into another room. It was there that he dropped the façade.

"So, you, the one Kryptonian who has powers, decided to turn his back on his people and eliminate their chance to protect themselves." Zod looked ready for a fight, his words heated.

"Don't test me, Zod. You and I both know the reason you wanted that tower operational. I've tried to do my best to give you a chance to experience this planet, but you're so hung up on getting your powers that you fail to see reason. You're best option is to integrate with the humans and give up this futile mission. You're missing out on what Earth has to offer." It was possibly the longest speech he had ever given to Zod, his Kryptonian senior, but on this planet, Clark was the one who understood.

"You know the secret to your powers, Kal El, but the rest of us are at a disadvantage. What happens when the government comes for us?" He always toyed with words. Zod's desperation for his powers wasn't grown from wanting to defend himself. He just wanted to take over.

"If you would start living like a human then that wouldn't happen. I have more documents for the rest of the Kandorians so they can start their own lives here, but you and I both know they won't follow me." Reasoning with Zod, was almost as futile as Zod's mission to get his powers.

"I won't let them be cast as humans. They are greater than that. Why don't you leave, Clark Kent, and let me handle my people since you have already given up on them." Zod turned his back to Clark and walked from the room.

Lois was still sitting at her desk when Clark arrived at the Daily Planet, typing away furiously. He glanced over her shoulder, noting several misspelled words and reached across her shoulder to point one out. As soon as his hand went into her line of sight she jumped up and elbowed him in the side.

Luckily, her strength had not increased by much, so he was left with just a minor loss of air. With a hand on his injury he gave her a narrowed glance, holding out the other hand that carried Oliver's folder. "Change of plans on the story. We're writing this." He looked at the clock on her computer. "And fast. I want to actually have a weekend."

"Making demands, Smallville? What has gotten you into this mood?" Her brow was arched as he sighed, then, shaking his head, he went to his own chair.

"Sorry, Lois. Just bad negotiations today. I will tell you about it later." The rest of the evening went in silence until they were prepared to turn their story over to Tess.

"Theft that appeared to be embezzlement?" Tess questioned, her brow arched in suspicion. "It took you almost a week to get this story in and it's one that I can't even print." Clark and Lois both stared at their boss with wide eyes. The story was a front pager, but the sensitivity to LuthorCorp was standing in their way of the by-line. In the end she dismissed the story, waving the reporters out of the room.

"Aren't you going to stand up for the story, Clark? I mean, who does she think she is just casting it aside as if it wasn't news?" Lois was in her 'pissed off' mode and Clark, not fully explaining the situation, just shrugged.

"We do what the boss says and we got paid. Fight the fights that need fighting, Lois." He only wished he could take his own advice. They returned to the farm, finally ready to have some peace for the weekend.

Clark considered all that had occurred in the past week.

Lois knew his secret.

Lois was pregnant with his child.

Zod would kill Clark if he knew how.

Zod was probably turning the other Kandorians against him.

Martha would be arriving on Monday.

Martha still didn't know about the baby.

Chloe and Oliver had massed a large stockpile of Kryptonite weapons.

Chloe and Oliver didn't trust his judgement.

The Red Queen was still undetermined.

The Red Queen knew what Watchtower knew.

It was as though the list had grown exponentially from what to do about the tower and what to do about Zod. For now, Clark felt that he would focus on the weekend and leave the rest of the worries to his hero accomplices.

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**Author's Note: **Shout out to my faithful reviewers :)

**Hot-chocolate329 **- Longer chapter this time and it will still be here after work ;)

**TaraLittle** - I'm looking forward to the Super Powered Lois myself :) Though I have a feeling Clark won't like her using them too much *grin*

**Rach2503 **- Still pushing through the season 9 fiasco, but having a twist to it all. Glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks guys and I will update within a few days.


	8. Challenged

**Last time - **It was as though the list had grown exponentially from what to do about the tower and what to do about Zod. For now, Clark felt that he would focus on the weekend and leave the rest of the worries to his hero accomplices.

It was closing in on almost 11 pm when Clark had finished telling her about the meet and greet with the Kandorians. Since the night he had experience the nightmare they had falling into an odd routine. The night after his scare she had experience a similar nightmare, bringing him into her room in the early hours. Ever since then they had decided to share a bed, but agreed that Lois would sleep under the covers and Clark would sleep above them.

Typically they would awaken together, both under or over the covers, and usually in a soft embrace. Lois, having a more objectionable opinion of commitment, chalked it up to loneliness. Clark felt it was fate.

The Saturday after their big non-news story they found themselves awakening side by side, Lois, on her side, was facing away from Clark as he was facing her. They were spooning. Across her he could read the red digits on the clock. For once, they had slept an entire night and he had actually slept past 'chore' time. It was closing in on 10 am.

Something was vibrating on the side of the bed and groaning Clark rolled away from Lois and picked up his phone. "Hello?"

"Clark. It's Chloe. We have a situation." She sounded more concerned than usual and his interest heightened.

"What is it?" As he spoke, Lois was starting to stir beside him, he covered the mouthpiece as she whispered.

"Who's on the phone?" Chloe, he silently mouthed back to her.

"I need you and Lois to come to Watchtower, immediately. Oliver and Bart are already here. The rest of the team is out of the loop for now." Calling in the team implied something serious had occurred. Clark was already dressed when he finished the call.

"Give us ten." He said to Chloe, then hanging up turned to Lois, "We need to get ready. They need us at Watchtower." Lois, in a very un-Lois like manner, was ready in 5.

When Clark entered he set Lois on her feet and looked over to where Dr. Emil was seated. "What's happened?" Clark, in full Blur mode, was there for answers.

"You're blood has been taken." Clark stilled, looking at Dr. Emil. He looked downhearted, but was holding a small GPS device and watching as the dot moved.

"What sample?" There had been very few times where Emil had the opportunity to take Clark's blood.

"The last one we took for the DNA test. It was in a vault at the Hospital, but Tess Mercer authorized someone to remove it this morning." As Emil spoke, Oliver was making his way onto the lower deck with Chloe.

Chloe walked to the doctor and took the GPS tracker, handing it over to Clark. "There were measures taken in case something like this was to happen. The glass vile that holds the blood has a thin GPS tracker embedded into it. We know where it is, but we don't know who has it."

_"Watchtower. This is Impulse. There's at least 5 of them and they-" _The audio feed cut out and Clark was standing beside Chloe and scanning the tracker.

"I know where they are." His eyes shot to Lois and he told her, without words, to stay. A moment later, papers were drifting to the ground and The Blur was gone.

The scene before him was disconcerting, but Clark was trying to assess the situation. It was daylight, but they stood in an empty construction site of RAO Industries. Zod was holding Bart in the air by his throat, seven of the Kandorians stood between Clark and their leader. A tiny device within Clark's ear was making noise, but it didn't distract him. At least the rest of the team was going to know what was happening.

"Put him down, Zod." His voice was full of Authority, but Zod shrugged him off, slightly shaking the red wearing hero. Bart gave a grunt of pain and kept his hands around Zod's wrist. Everyone knew that the kid could be killed in an instant.

"I don't think so, Kal El. For some time now you have kept this information from us. What would give us our powers? Now, I realize that even you did not know. Instead a human gave us the information we needed. So inferior, yet surprisingly useful." Zod finally met Clark's gaze. "And now your fast little friend here will be the first to-" Zod broke off as the Kandorians dropped to their knees. Clark felt a familiar burn through his blood and looked around him to find the source. He caught sight of a red blur and was grateful that Bart was out of danger, but then his eyes landed on a glowing green stick. It had feathers on the tail and after a moment of sorting through the pain he knew it was an arrow.

_"We're here, boyscout. Just hold on and we will get you out of there." _There were few moments where he really enjoyed hearing from The Green Arrow. This was one of them. Rolling onto his back he knew he wouldn't be able to escape the pain until they arrived. Luckily he wasn't waiting for long. Bart was dragging him out of the Kryptonite's range and within moments he was back on his feet.

Zod was rolling away from one of the arrows and found himself healing. "This isn't over Kal El. When the humans are serving us, you will be right there with them, or you will be in the ground." Everything happened in a matter of seconds as Zod's gaze went to Oliver, who was standing on the roof of a neighboring building. He blasted the building, blasted the remaining arrows, and then the Kandorians were in the air, taking flight towards the sun.

Clark didn't waste any time, rummaging through the remains of the building to find Oliver. When he found him he lifted him, darting back to the only sanctuary he knew. Chloe looked panicked to see Clark, holding Oliver, Bart trailing in behind them.

"Is he alright?" The blond rushed over, gently touching Oliver's forehead where a large gash was slowly seeping blood.

"His heart rate is fine, but he probably has a concussion. He just went down with an entire building. Zod has his powers and now I have to go see Tess Mercer." At this point, Lois was running over, looking over Clark's disheveled look, ash in his hair and soot all over his hands. She went to touch his cheek, but he pulled back. Lois, drawing her hand back, looked at him with a hurt expression and he was filled with regret.

"I have to go see Tess. So much is just crashing down right now and the last thing I want to worry about is your safety. Stay with Chloe and Bart. They will keep you safe." And, in an attempt to make up for his actions, he pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. He had only wanted to comfort her. To let her know he would be okay. "I will be back as soon as I can. Stay. Here."

Again, they were picking papers off the floor.

"Mercer!" Clark stormed into the Luthor Mansion, glaring down at the female sitting at her desk. He had had the sense to change from his Blur attire to his red jacket and jeans.

"Clark? What are you doing here?" She didn't rise from her seat, instead she just tilted her head to look at him with a sideways expression, as though she was bored.

"Don't play games with me! How is it that you knew about the blood?" Clark was beyond angry, tempted to demonstrate his powers. Fear would get him the information he needed, but he was still unsure about what she knew.

"What are you talking about?" She closed a book that had been sitting in front of her and stood, her face shifting from the bored expression to one of impatience.

"You signed off for someone to take a blood sample and you gave it to the Kandorians. How it is that you knew what its affects would be?" Clark placed his palms on the desk, his fingers leaving an indentation. It was subtle, she hadn't even noticed, but he cursed himself for it. "Tell me while there is still a chance to save this planet."

"What do you know about the Kandorians, Clark? I've had my suspicions for some time now. Reading Lionel's diaries, unraveling the secrets about Krypton and the Traveler, but each time I was close, someone stood in my way." Tess grabbed the book that was on her desk, handing it over to Clark. He snatched it from her, scanned its pages. One in particular caught his attention. It was the documentation of how his blood created a vaccine for the virus that had spread in Smallville.

"You had no right to steal that blood. Because of your actions you have put the human race at risk and now I have to clean up your mess." He walked to the fireplace and tossed the book into the flames, even as Tess protested. "You don't even know what you have done."

"She knew, Clark. She was just naïve, thinking that this planet would be safe if we had our powers." A new intruder, walking by the balcony, past the rows of books that were collecting dust, "Isn't that right Miss Mercer."

"Zod. You said you would save it." Tess finally had the sense to look frightened, her eyes darting between Clark and the General.

"I will. I don't plan on destroying this planet. I plan on dominating it. Not even Kal El will stand in my way." Zod shot a pointed look to Clark.

"You know I won't let that happen, Zod. Your people, powers or not, will never be able to break the human race of its hope. Humanity will fight you until the last Kandorian is gone." Clark's words were deep, spoken from the heart and he understood he would have to live up to them. He would get them off the planet even if it was his last act.

"You don't have the power to stop me." Clark watched, as everything was happening slower than the human eye could see. Zod bent his knees and leapt into the air, breaking open the roof.

"You're wrong, Zod. This is my destiny." And Clark knelt to the ground, closed his eyes and thought of the ones he loved. He could picture her face, the hazel eyes as she looked up at him with love. He imagined his daughter, running around with curly brown locks, clasping her mother's hand. In that moment he felt free and his eyes opened wide to look up at the sky. Without even knowing it, he was airborne.

He had made it across the state of Kansas before gravity caught up with him. Midflight, he almost impacted a fighter jet, lost concentration and fell from the sky. The field he landed in was barren, luckily for the residents and the crash left him a pinch exhausted. He made four more attempts to fly before accepting that it was a fluke and ran to Watchtower.

He had dirt in his hair, and his clothes were torn, but even though the Kandorians were threatening to take over, he couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face when he saw Lois. Her hazel eyes, ones that he had just pictured, bore into him and he closed the distance to wrap her into his arms and spin her around.

"Clark! My eye in the sky is showing some strange activity in the Arctic." Chloe was heard in the background and Clark moved Lois to arm's length. All the dirt from his clothes had been shared with her and she silently asked him what he was excited about.

"I'll tell you later." He whispered, and turned away from her to stand by Chloe. Sure enough there were red dots merging within the Fortress.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So, we're going through more plot, more Lois and Clark interaction (not wanting to rush that) and I still want to know about the red queen :P . To all my reviewers.

**Hot-chocolate329 - **Thanks for the boost of confidence. I took a day off to contemplate plot and this is what we got :)

**TaraLittle - **Thanks for another review :) You guys are great! All good things come in time.

**Rach2503 **- Most of the CLOIS will probably occur in late chapter 9/chapter 10, but of course I have to have a tiny bit every chapter. :)


	9. Survival

**Last time-** "I'll tell you later." He whispered, and turned away from her to stand by Chloe. Sure enough there were red dots merging within the Fortress.

"Are those heat signatures?" Clark asked Chloe, pointing to the dots.

"Yes and they are reading too hot for a human, add on some degrees since they are being picked up in the Arctic." Clark snorted and turned to look behind him. Bart was sitting on the couch, eating a pizza and looking over at Oliver who was lying on a cot.

"Tess knows. I'm not sure where her loyalties lie right now either. The Kandorians have betrayed her so now might be an opportunity to bring her in. She will be a powerful asset, being the one in control of LuthorCorp." He still didn't know if he could trust her, but he would let his team have an input.

There was warmth in his hand and he looked down to see that Lois had slipped her hand into his own. He smiled and looked over to her. "I'm sorry, Lois. You've been dragged into a mess of things that I have wanted to keep you safe from." He spoke softly, turning his head away from Chloe so his words could be meant for only Lois.

She looked to his red jacket that was tattered from his fall from the sky. Though his skin wasn't broken she still wished she could ease some of the hurt. "You're not in this alone anymore. I'm here for you, Clark." She touched her lips to his in a feather light kiss.

"As long as you're safe." They had moved from the terminal Chloe was seated at, at the base of the stairs and hidden from view. "I need you to promise me that, Lois. You can't follow me into this story. It's far too dangerous."

"I can't promise you anything, Clark, except that I will be there for you when you need me." He nodded and they made their way back to Chloe.

"I think it's time to bring out Doctor Swan's journals. Maybe he will have some answers for us." The barn would have most of his notes on all things Kryptonian. The fortress was off limits for the time being, but they couldn't wait too long. Zod and his people were sure to start their mission soon.

"That's a good idea, Clark. You and Lois head to the farm, the team and I will discuss what to do about Tess. If we find anything we will let you know." She held out her hand, palm up. "Comm device. Hand it over."

Clark had forgotten it was there and pulled it out, dropping it into Chloe's hand.

"I don't want to overhear anything… private." Then she grinned and turned in her chair, her focus on business.

Lois and Clark arrived at the farm, stopping at the front door of the house. There was a nondescript brown box sitting directly in front of the door. Cautiously, Clark held an arm out in front of Lois, squinted his eyes at the box, and then dropped the arm. "It's… It's a pie." He lifted the box and they walked together towards the barn. There he set it down and opened it, pulling out a small piece of paper.

_Clark,_

_You're going to need this._

_Love, _

_Mom_

It was a cherry pie and in the center was the tip of a red object. He pulled it from the pie and looked at it wonder. It was a chess piece. Specifically, a queen that was red in color. Within the pie was another object. It was metal and it reminded Clark of The Key. It was larger though, and had a hole in the center.

"I've seen this before." In a flurry of wind, Clark reappeared holding a notebook. "The Book of Rao. A Kryptonian library." He kept reading, finding another diagram he had once seen on the top of RAO towers. "It can send the Kandorians to another plane." There was a detail that he had left out, but knew that he couldn't mention it until the time was right.

"This is it. This is how I can fix it." He whispered, looking up and meeting Lois's eyes. She was confused, but he wasn't planning on elaborating. "We have to get back to Watchtower. I have to see Tess first though. I need you to stay here." Without any more words he left.

He had taken off his tattered jacket, but was still covered in dirt. It wasn't something he had actively thought about until he was walking through the mansion, dust falling from his clothes and onto the wood floor.

"Tess!" He shouted when he entered the office. She was still at her desk, but was accompanied by two security guards. They had their weapons trained on him and with a look of disapproval he glared at her.

"Leave us." She waved them out, and after they were out of earshot Clark stepped forward, placing a picture of the diagram on her desk. She looked upon it in recognition.

"Where is it?" His tone demanded an answer, but upon looking her over he realized that she didn't have any fight left in her. Her actions had caused a paramount dilemma.

"I moved it. It's on top of LuthorCorp tower. What do you need it for?" There was a moment where he didn't want to answer her, but in an accusatory tone he responded.

"To fix the problem you created."

Again, they were at Watchtower. Lois was queasy from all the trips and Clark gently set her down on the couch. When he had went back to the farm he had changed into his Blur outfit. It was their last trip for the night, he promised her. "When we became involved I wanted you to be with me when things went bad just as much as when things went good." And then he had smiled down at her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. In his back pocket rested the Book of Rao.

A loudspeaker sounded throughout the room. "Watchtower, Online." Chloe, his best friend, a moral compass.

"Green Arrow, Online." Oliver, the playboy billionaire turned hero. His friend and confidant.

"Aquaman, Online." Arthur, fastest being in the water.

"Impulse, Online." Bart, the kid who was faster than the Blur.

"Canary, Online." Dinah, their other justice seeker.

"Cyborg, Online." Victor, the best hacker anyone would ever meet.

"Boyscout, Online." Clark spoke into his receiver, preparing for the conversation to come.

"Mad Dog, Online." His head turned as Lois spoke into her own headset. There was never a moment where he had felt she belonged as much as she did then.

"Boyscout, the stage is yours." Chloe announced, looking from her monitors to Clark.

"Over the past few days the Kandorians have made their stance known. As of this morning they have all the abilities that I have, but they're not planning on helping humanity. They plan on dominating it. I have found an item that will transport all Kryptonians to another plane. They can make their own home there." He paused, knowing that his words were bouncing around Lois's and Chloe's heads. "I called you because I want you all to know that I've never felt more gratitude than I have working with all of you. You're the best of humanity and I want each of you to continue the fight, even when I'm not here to help you."

"We will never stop, Boyscout." Oliver had always known the right things to say… most of the time.

"Whatever you decide, we'll be here." Bart's words made him feel better, but he knew there was more to say. Silence followed as Clark took in a deep breath. He was worried his voice would go out, but he pushed forward.

"I have a favor to ask of all of you. I know there have been times where my decisions have had negative results," He thought back to Davis and Jimmy, his father and Lana. "and I know there were times that caused you to not have faith in my judgment." He thought about the Kryptonite weapons. "I need you guys to keep my secret and my child's secret. I need you to stand by Lois when I'm no longer here to stand by her." There was a sound over the feed and he turned to cast a sympathetic glance towards Lois. There were fresh tears on her cheeks

There was a chorus of affirmatives and Clark pulled the earpiece off, setting it into a box labeled Boyscout. Chloe gripped Clark's wrist to get his attention. "There has to be another way."

"There isn't." He pulled her into a hug and gave her a friendly kiss on the forehead. "You've been there for me, time and time again Chloe. Now it's my turn."

Behind him he knew Lois was experience the same desperation he felt. He had spent so long trying to detach himself that he had missed so much time. He felt a sorrow that he would never experience with her the joy that their child would bring. He turned away from Chloe and faced Lois, his hand reaching out instinctively to tuck back a stray strand of hair. Her hazel eyes were filled with tears, but underneath her sadness he could see the anger. Anger at Clark for keeping so much from her. Anger at the world for forcing him to make this choice.

She leaned her head into his hand and he cupped her cheek. "Lois." It came out hoarse, and he was worried for a moment that he wouldn't find the strength needed to do this.

"I love you." The soft whisper cut him deeper than the hurt he was already feeling.

"I know." There they stood in watchtower, expressing the most honest feeling they had ever experienced. He super-sped to their storage compartments and returned without her even realizing he had left. He thrust a small lead box towards her. "Open it. Keep it close. I don't want-" He cut off as a fresh tear dropped from her eye. "I don't want to risk the baby." Then he pulled her flush against him, rougher than he had intended, but she didn't make a sound. He gripped her under her chin, tilted her head so he could look her in the eye. Then he kissed her, soundly, desperately. Her hands gripped the collar of his black jacket.

"I have to go." She was shaking her head and her hand went to cover her mouth.

"You can't." It was a choked sob, and Clark felt something on his cheek. A tear, dripping down.

"I have to. There's no other way. I won't let that future happen. I can't." Then he gave her another deep kiss and disappeared.

"Zod." Clark greeted the Kandorian, his hand gripping the Book of Rao. It was past dusk, the only light coming from below.

"Kal El. My people are on their way. Are you here to betray us again?" Zod lifted his head, as if measuring Clark's motives.

"I'm here to give you a new home, Zod." The Kandorians landed and Clark went to make his move. All he had to do was to place the Book into the platform, but even with his super-speed Zod anticipated the action. Clark received a hard blow to jaw, but maintained a grip on the Book.

"The Book of Rao belongs to a true Kyrptonian, Kal El. Hand it over." Clark shook his head, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"I don't think so." He darted forward, Zod went to intercept. Swiftly he feigned a move to the right and Zod followed. Clark had passed him, thrusting the Book into the platform. "You're not taking over this planet!" A beam of light appeared and a powerful force knocked Clark onto his back. Zod, who had been just as close, was also thrown away.

The Kandorians slowly drifted up and Clark could feel the pull. Within moments the feeling evaporated. "What?" He turned to see Zod holding a blue Kryptonite dagger.

"The moment you used those weapons against me, I took it upon myself to find out what else could hurt us." He swung the dagger, cutting Clark across the chest. Blood dripped from the wound and without crying out he placed his palm against it.

"You could have lived here. At peace with the humans. You made this choice!" Clark shouted at him, running as if to tackle him. The dagger cut him across the shoulder and Clark emitted a harsh growl.

"And you could have ruled with us. What makes the humans better than your own kind?" Zod argued, attempting to cut Clark once more, without success.

"Your people are nothing like me!" Clark found himself on the ledge, Zod still waving the dagger menacingly. "I told you that you weren't going to take over this planet. You should have believed me." And then Zod approached Clark giving him the opportunity he needed.

Clark gripped Zod's wrist and pulled the dagger towards himself. It slid in easily, the jagged edges still sharp enough to allow the dagger to be buried to the hilt. "I. Told. You." Clark gasped out, the pain intensifying. He wondered briefly how humans dealt with that kind of pain, but then he ceased to wonder as he watched Zod be lifted into the sky. He lost his balance, feeling that it was fitting to die on Earth, the only place that had been his home. In a moment of clarity, Clark knew he was falling, could feel that rushing sensation, but even that faded into darkness.

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**Author's Notes:** As always, a shout out to my reviewers.

**TaraLittle - **Was happy to write the flying scene. Will post within the next few days.

**Hot-chocolate329** - Thanks for the confidence boost :)

**twilighting** - When I write the story I use Microsoft Word. All new sequences are in a new section but they don't seem to be transfering over. I will work on description during transitions. Thanks for taking the time to let me know :)


	10. Union

**Author's Note: **Mature content in this chapter. You have been warned. :)

* * *

**Last time- **Clark gripped Zod's wrist and pulled the dagger towards himself. It slid in easily, the jagged edges still sharp enough to allow the dagger to be buried to the hilt. "I. Told. You." Clark gasped out, the pain intensifying. He wondered briefly how humans dealt with that kind of pain, but then he ceased to wonder as he watched Zod be lifted into the sky. He lost his balance, feeling that it was fitting to die on Earth, the only place that had been his home. In a moment of clarity, Clark knew he was falling, could feel that rushing sensation, but even that faded into darkness.

Clark sat up, his eyes blinded by the sun. He felt at peace, save a tiny tugging in the back of his mind. Looking around him he noticed he was in a cornfield. Out of the stalks, a child ran up to him, kissing him on the cheek. She was barely seven or so. "I missed you, daddy." He hugged her close, lifting her into his arms. Her curly dark hair smelled like spring.

"I missed you too, sweetheart." He smiled, spinning around.

"I want to fly today, daddy. Can you take me?" Compelled to nod, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was everything about him and everything about her mother, the perfect joining of two souls. Her eyes held a twinkle, but she also looked at him with a curiously mature gaze.

"Sure we can. Hold on tight." She squeezed her arms around his neck and he took off into the sky. He took her higher than the clouds and asked her if she was cold. When she said no he took her higher. Together they looked across the galaxy, admiring the stars.

"It's time, daddy." Clark was confused at her words. Time for what? There was no time, no sense of being. "It's time to go, daddy. They miss you too." And then he was falling, the child disappearing from his arms. The ground was so close now. He already missed her, wished for her to be wrapped in his arms.

Clark awoke, gasping for air. There was no light in the room, but he knew he was indoors. He touched a hand to his chest, expecting to feel blood, but instead touching something plastic. Four sensors were scattered across his chest. His shirt was gone, and when he realized he was in a bed he removed the sheet covering him, only to find that his pants were also missing. He stood, looking around the room, wearing only a pair of boxers.

"Hello?" The walls were made of iron, he noted after he attempted an X-ray. Unsure of where he was or who was watching him he approached a wall, a cold wall, he noted as he placed his palm against it. He turned his head, attempting to listen, but only heard his own heart beat.

He thought back, trying to recall the last moments he could remember. He had fallen from LuthorCorp tower. With the blue Kryptonite dagger in him he should have never survived the fall, but somehow he had made it. He knew he was healed, but he still felt weaker than normal.

A light suddenly appeared, illuminating the room. It was very minimalist, containing only a hospital like bed, a toilet, and a table. It reminded him of a cell. To his left he saw seams for a door and he made his way towards it. Before he had finished approaching it, it opened to reveal a woman standing on the other side, wearing a red outfit with a hood.

As much as he wanted to go to her he knew it wasn't a good idea. She was 'working'. She stood there, holding out a pair of jeans and a shirt. He dressed with super-speed, watching… waiting for a reaction.

"You know this building can't contain me." His words came out low, almost threatening.

"We know. We're doing this to protect you. You have been comatose for almost six weeks and you were vulnerable during that time." He longed for her to hug him, give him some comfort, but he made due with hearing her voice. She was always truthful with him, even when it hurt.

"How did you find me?" He asked as she led the way down a narrow corridor, the path illuminated with a red glare.

"My organization has been tracking you for some time now, as Watchtower is probably aware." He wondered how she had become so involved in this, but stayed away from those topics. It probably wasn't safe for them to be associated on a personal level.

"Watchtower is aware. Your organization let me find a way to eliminate the Kandorian threat." She had stopped walking, opening a door that led into a large office. Here it was brightly lit and she motioned for him to sit down.

"We were worried…" There was a brief pause, "We were worried that you wouldn't wake. We didn't expect you to remain on Earth either. Your vitals were monitored daily for the first five weeks. Just last week you were transferred to the room you woke in."

"How did you find me?" Clark inquired, sitting down in front of the desk as she took a seat behind it.

"Very delicately. Since you were comatose we maintained the idea that you were dead, but there's quite a few people that are ready for you to return." The woman passed him a copy of The Daily Planet. Plastered across page 1 was a blurred photo and a headline that read **'The White Blur Saves Hospital'**_. _Clark couldn't distinguish a face from the photo and passed the paper back.

"Someone's stepping up, doing their part. What are you really after?" Even though he already knew, he felt he should ask.

"Justice." And the woman stood, handing a duffel bag over to Clark. It held a few changes of clothes and a folder that contained identification documents. Then a group of guards came and escorted him out of the building. He had no idea where he was, but he knew it was nowhere close to Kansas.

_Clark,_

_You should have told me about the baby. Congratulations._

_Love,_

_Mom_

He smirked, placing the note into his pocket. He had found it inside the bag she had handed him along with a map. There were places he had to go, but when he started walking he felt a moment of fear. They had been without him for over a month. Would they be angry at him for the decision he had made? Would they feel like he had failed them? The only place he knew he could get answers was Watchtower.

The security system had been updated since the last time he had been there, but he still entered undetected. No one noticed as he appeared just outside the elevator and the scene before him caused him to be at a loss for words. Chloe and Tess were talking in low voices, pointing at various objects on the dining table.

"No, Mercer. We're doing this Oliver's way or we're not doing it at all." Chloe growled, looking as though she was close to punching Tess. Tess appeared unworried.

"I think I understand these sorts of things better than Oliver." Clark had no idea what they were talking about, until a vital piece of information gave it away.

"Oliver said that a pale green would look better in the baby's room. I agree," Chloe was adamantly defending her choice.

"Green is not a color for a girl's room, Chloe! This is the better option." Tess was pointing to something else. Neither had noticed him.

"I like green." It sounded weak, but all conversation ceased as he spoke.

Two heads turned to stare at him. Four wide eyes that were almost animation like tried to blink away their disbelief.

"Clark." Chloe whispered, taking off and running to him. He caught her as she jumped in to hug him fiercely. "Oh my God! Oh my God! How? What?"

"I'll tell you all about it later. Where's Lois?" On the way to watchtower he had stopped by the farm and the talon, seeing no trace of her at either place. He was desperate to see her.

"She's at The Planet. I'm surprised you didn't go there first." He could have slapped his forehead, but with Chloe still in his arms he just sighed and let her down.

"I should have known. How is she?" Since he had been gone for so long he was almost scared to ask, but knew it couldn't be avoided.

"She's been holding it together. I think she's been in shock since you left so she has dived into her work. She stays here most nights. She hasn't been to the farm since…" She trailed off, wiping away a few tears that had escaped. "We've just been driving forward I guess… hoping for a miracle." Then she gave a classic Chloe smile, wide with excitement. "And here it is." She waved her hands, indicating towards him.

"_Watchtower, this is Mad Dog. I've got an update on our favorite crime syndicate."_ Chloe turned from Clark, a guilty expression on her face as she touched the communicator at her ear.

"Bring the update to home base. We'll discuss it here." Papers went flying and Clark reached out to steady Chloe as Lois appeared beside her cousin. For a moment there was complete silence as Lois looked Clark over, and then turned to Chloe, thrusting some papers towards the short blonde.

"Your update." Chloe looked down at the outstretched papers, then tilted her head to look at Clark, then turned her head back to look at Lois. Her expression was a definite confused.

"Uh, Lois? Clark's here." It wasn't the easiest way to explain it, but when the words came out of Chloe's mouth Lois sighed and placed her hands on her cousin's shoulders.

"I know, Chloe. I saw him this morning at my desk. Sitting right across from me, looking like the same old dork, but we have to accept that when we see him… he isn't real." Her words were soft and sad and Chloe almost wanted to laugh at the insanity about it.

"Lois." Clark finally stepped into the conversation, reached out to take Lois by the hand. There was a sense of recognition when she heard his voice and immediately she lost all focus on Chloe and centered it on Clark. She didn't respond but instead moved into his embrace, wrapping him tight enough for him to cut off his air. He didn't care. Threading his hands into her hair he pulled her against him, whispering her name repeatedly in a gravelly tone.

"You're real? You're here?" She tightened her hold.

"Yes, and you're really strong," as strong as he was. She was over a month along now and Dr. Emil's predictions were correct. So she loosened her hold on him, but didn't go to move away. "You're fast too." He recalled her appearance out of thin air and then remembered the headline he had read. Curiously he gripped the top of her shirt and peered underneath, only to receive a quick slap on the shoulder. He raised an eyebrow, commenting, "You're the white blur?"

"The one and only." She was still tucked against him, afraid if she stepped away then he would be gone; disappear just as easily as he had reappeared… but he never did.

"So, you're saying that Mrs. K. is the mysterious Red Queen and her organization was the one who picked you up after the Kandorian fight." Lois basically summed up the past half hour of conversation in one sentence. Clark was looking at her with approval in his eyes. They were still at Watchtower, seated on the couch. Chloe and Oliver had pulled up chairs and were seated across from them.

"Yes. Mom now has an alter-ego. Seems a few things have changed in the past month." He turned his attention to Chloe. "I'm guessing Tess's loyalties have been determined. Along with the color of the baby's room." His attention shifted again, this time to Oliver.

"We decided to approach Tess about four weeks ago when a very old project of LuthorCorp's was resurrected. She had no clue what was going on, but we think it had something to do with a Lex Clone. We're still working on it together, but we're taking precautions. Isis was renewed so we could track activities at the mansion. She was introduced to the team six days ago. And yes, we were also considering converting your room at the farm into the baby's room." Oliver watched Clark's reactions, finding their Boyscout to be as hard to read as always.

"Chloe says you haven't been there." Clark turned to look at Lois, his tone gentle. He hadn't wanted to spend the past hour explaining the events of the Red Queen, but instead had wanted to take Lois home with him.

"No. Oliver and Chloe go out there to check on Shelby, but I haven't been. They were working on the baby room idea." She shrugged and with a wavering voice she continued, "I didn't want to be there. I couldn't…" She stopped and Clark cast a quick glance towards Oliver and Chloe.

"We're leaving. I'll be back in a few days to help you with that resurrected Luthor project." He stood, holding a hand out to Lois, smiling as she took it and stood beside him. "Call us if something important comes up." Meaning, don't call unless necessary.

* * *

Shelby greeted Clark and Lois as they walked into the house on the farm. Her water bowl and food bowl were full, indicating that either Chloe or Oliver had been there earlier. Clark dropped his duffle bag on the ground and looked over to Lois. She was biting her lower lip and he would have thought she was nervous if it wasn't for the twinge of sadness in her eyes. The farm brought back memories of when she had thought he was gone and the desolation she had felt because of it.

He placed a hand on her back and she jumped slightly, turning her eyes onto him. Chloe had said that Lois was throwing herself into her work for the past month and a half, but Clark figured she had been operating as the White Blur. She was probably exhausted.

"Are you tired?" He asked her, rubbing the hand up and down her back. She shook her head.

"Not at all." In those few words he let go of all his fear, his worry, and even his control. They clutched one another, their lips met and Clark threaded his fingers into her hair. She wasn't tired. She was enthusiastic.

She tasted wonderful and he tilted his head, deepening the kiss. He heard something rip and broke the kiss, looking down at his torn shirt. "Bed." He whispered against her mouth, bringing her in for another kiss.

When she broke away to answer he touched his lips to her neck. "Yes. That sounds good. Stairs?" They were stumbling towards them, refusing to break away from one another. Lois's eyes were closed as Clark's lips played with her ear. She gasped and he couldn't help the grin that spread on his face.

He glanced to look up the stairs and a moment later they were both on Clark's bed, his lips against hers. Her hands were pushing his torn shirt off his shoulders and when he was bare from the waist up her eyes refocused on his. "I've missed you." Her words were hoarse, bared with emotion. His own memories may have been blank but she had lived without him for the past six weeks. Wanting to comfort her he placed a hand on the back of her neck and pulled her to him.

"I'm here now." He paused, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you, Lois. I'm not going anywhere." Suddenly he found himself on his back, looking up with a startled gaze at a grinning Lois. She was his physical equal and she planned on letting him know it.

His hands went to her shirt, taking the time to unbutton the clasps one by one. She still wore a white shirt underneath, his family crest in the center. Briefly he wondered if she had a replacement but when her hand trailed from his neck and down to his stomach he flinched in pleasure and ripped the shirt down the center. Flipping her over, he took his place on top once more.

They had waited so long that by the time they found themselves in this place, neither one of them wanted to take it slow. Next time, Clark said and Lois nodded her agreement. She was working on his jeans when his patience hit an end and they both found super-speed to be helpful.

Naked, his eyes met hers and he slowly looked down, admiring with soft smile. He touched her shoulder, sliding down till his palm was full. Even the memories of his future self didn't compare to the feel of her, the soft moans that he elicited from her mouth. Those sounds frenzied him and even though he felt he had skipped a step he slipped his hand between her legs, a groan escaping him as he found her ready.

Her back arched from the bed and the word that escaped her mouth made him blush. Briefly he tested her before positioning himself. Poised above her, his palms resting on either side of her head he waited. "I love you." He captured her words with a kiss and slipped inside of her, wondering how they had ever waited this long. Ecstasy, rapture, oblivion, pleasure. None of those words were enough to describe how she felt beneath him.

Her eyes clenched shut and she shuddered, tightening around him, bringing him to his own end. Death itself couldn't have kept him from finishing. He gripped her hair, exposing her neck to him and he touched his lips to her skin. Soft, decadent. His lips traveled to her ear and in a breathless voice he whispered, "Marry me."

* * *

**Author's Note - **There is only a few more chapters to go in the story. I will update when I get the chance so stay tuned :P

**Luckyjasonfan - **I agree with you there. Why did they set Clark up to save him in the show? I guess we'll never know. Hope you enjoyed the CLOIS. :)

**TaraLittle - **Cliff hangers are evil, aren't they? :D

**Hot-chocolate329 - **You got your wish! Clark was saved, stayed, and got.. .well you get the idea ;)


	11. New Life

**Author's Note: **After this there will only be one more chapter. This one goes by in the style of life events. It's pretty short, but I enjoyed it.

**Last time- **He gripped her hair, exposing her neck to him and he touched his lips to her skin. Soft, decadent. His lips traveled to her ear and in a breathless voice he whispered, "Marry me."

The second the words reached her he felt a moment of panic. He hadn't intended on bringing up the topic. Not until he had prepared, had planned, had at least bought the darn ring. But then he felt her lips against his own skin, whispering a very Lois like reply. "Only if you feed me, Smallville."

He made her a midnight snack and then they devoured each other. Morning came and they made greater use of the couch, broke the dining room table, found the hay to be just a tiny bit annoying and ended up in the loft.

It was there that Clark sat, twiddling a simple ring between his fingers. It had been his mother's and he recalled the words she had said to him, "_For the woman who completes you, Clark. I know you will find happiness with her."_

Lois was standing by the open barn window, gazing up at the sky, when Clark approached her. She had her hands clasped in front of her and he reached across, pulling them apart so he could take one. "I was serious. Earlier." She smiled at his comment, then, in a very honest tone she replied.

"So was I." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"It won't be easy. We will have hard times. I'm sure people out there will try and use you against me and even after all that we will have a child to protect. But, in between, we'll have good times too, and our family will live in a home filled with love. We'll be honest with each other and I will never stop loving you." As he spoke he knelt down, resting an elbow on his one raised knee. Normally, he would have felt nervous, but in that moment he had never felt more confident. He could picture their future, married, a child, and a home. He opened his hand to show her the ring in his palm. "Marry me, Lois."

Her smile had softened and she slowly held out her hand. "Yes, Clark. I'll marry you." And when he slipped the ring onto her finger it was a perfect fit.

* * *

He paced, knowing he was probably wearing a hole into the ground. The full length mirror in the corner had been the only witness to his nervousness. It had been six weeks since he had asked Lois to marry him. Twelve weeks since his 'death' and twenty-one weeks into the pregnancy. A month ago Lois had given up being the White Blur, at Clark's insistence. Considering she was now showing there was little she could say to dissuade him.

"I have powers, Clark. I will be fine." She had argued.

"Use them to protect the baby. No unnecessary risks." He had countered.

The door behind him opened and his thoughts drifted to the present. Chloe, with a glint in her eyes, entered the room. "I'm here to save you." She whispered, approaching him, reaching out to fix his bowtie. "Lois's exact words were 'if he shows up covered in soot, dirt, or even a piece of lint on his face I will kill him.' So no saving for the next hour." Clark grinned, giving Chloe a hug.

"Thanks for the warning, but I don't think anything could keep me from this." From a lifetime of her.

And when he stood next to Oliver, Bart, Arthur and Victor, looking down the homemade aisle at the woman he loved he knew their union would be that of legend. The woman completed him, accepted both parts of him, accepted the mistakes he had made and would understand the ones he would make in the future. Her eyes glittered with tears of joy and for a moment, everyone faded away. It didn't matter that they were in a barn, or their guests were few in number. Clark's expression was one of awe and wonder and between the glow on her cheeks and his loss for words he had never encountered a moment so perfect.

"I love you." He whispered so low that only her super-hearing could have picked it up.

"I love you, too. Hence the reason I'm marrying you." He grinned and they turned to the preacher. There was I do's and the exchanging of rings. There was cake and dancing. There was laughter shared among friends and eventually the night brought their evening to an end.

Clark carried Lois across the threshold and into the farm house. Her dress was discarded in the hallway along with his suit. Together they rolled across the bed and Clark knelt over her, placing his hands on either side of her stomach. His eyes squinted and he looked at the life forming inside of her. Gently he placed a kiss on the mound then crawled above her. "Well, my bride, I think that we've skipped enough steps in this relationship so maybe we can do our wedding night justice."

"I think we've done just fine." Her husky tone caused an immediate reaction within Clark. He cupped her cheek, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"I think we can do better than just fine." He replied, tracing his hand down her front, tenderly his hand shaking slightly. He hadn't been nervous with her before, but he wanted this moment to be perfect.

They made love slowly, repeatedly, till they were spent. Lois cuddled against Clark's side and as he listened to the sound of her breathing he focused in on another sound. The softest heartbeat he had ever heard.

* * *

"Daddy! Daddy look!" Clark turned from the newspaper, pulling his glasses down as he followed the direction of his daughter's hand. She was pointing at an object across the field that Clark couldn't identify. "It's a dog, Daddy."

"How do you know, sweetie?" But even as he asked he saw her hand point towards her ear. "Ah. Well, let's go see what it's doing out here." He took her hand, straightening his stance and together they walked across the gravel and into the field. His ten year old was expressionless until they saw that the dog was lying on its side. "Wait." But the girl ignored his protests and already had the dog in her arms. It outweighed her by fifty pounds, but she didn't appear to be struggling. "Give her to me, Lara." Clark held out his hands and his daughter put the dog in them.

"I think she's hungry." Clark said carrying the dog back towards the house. As they walked they saw a car pulling into the driveway. He felt a moment of panic as he looked at the furry animal and then to Lois.

"Mommy isn't going to like this." It was a simple statement, but the child sent a quick grin in Clark's direction. "But I think she was sad when Shelby died."

"Me too, sweetheart. Why don't you go inside and get a bowl of water out for her." He was still holding the dog, which smelled like it hadn't been bathed in a week. Lois was approaching him, holding a bag of groceries. There was curiousness in her eyes and after a moment she made a very final declaration.

"It sleeps outside."

After bathing "Krypto", trying to get Lara ready for bed, convincing Lois that the dog could sleep inside until after winter, cleaning up the mess the dog made in the kitchen, and reading their daughter a bedtime story, Clark was exhausted.

Together he and Lois stood at the doorway of what was once his old bedroom. Now it was painted a pastel green, drawings of a man in green and a man in red and a man in blue hanging on the wall. A white, wooden twin bed sat in the corner, stuffed animals scattered on the floor. "Her birthday is next week." Lois commented, wrapping her arms around Clark's waist.

"Yea and there's no way we can compete with the gift Uncle Oliver is going to get her. We're going to have to step up our game this year." Last year he had given Lara a customized Green Arrow outfit. She had worn it till there were holes in the knees. "Maybe we could go for a pony." Lois gave him a soft smack on the arm and Clark feigned injury. She had lost her powers after giving birth, but they still found no signs of a weakened heart.

"I think you should take her flying. She loves doing that." Lois commented quietly.

"Remember last time? I took her flying and then she tried to do it herself for a month. We still have craters in the yard and she almost jumped into Hubbard's house. Not sure I should encourage it." He was leaning against the doorjamb, his gaze on the back of his daughter's head.

"I think you worry too much. You should take her and then you and Oliver won't have to compete over who gets the better gift." Clark's eyes had gone distant and Lois tilted her head to look up at him. "You should go."

He nodded and leaned down to give her a quick kiss. "Landslide. I will be back as soon as I can." Then he was gone and Lois was looking down the hallway, face to face with Krypto.

"Landslide? If I had a nickel for every time I have heard that one."

* * *

**Author's Note: **To my reviewers. I just started school this week so updating will be more spaced out. As mentioned, I only have one more chapter left to go.

**TaraLittle** - Thank you for all your reviews for the story. You guys kept me updating quicky.

**Hot-chocolate329** - Yea, and now the powers are gone :( . Hope you enjoyed the story.


	12. Surprise  Final Chapter

**And now, the final chapter of Positive...**

Lois was placing a cake on the dining room table, store bought to avoid the disaster that her baking usually entailed. As Clark watched her he smiled. He was holding a small glass of chilled lemonaide and after taking a sip he looked around the room.

Their friends had made it, keeping their promise of presence as he had known they would. Oliver placed a small bag on the table and it sat with the other gifts the rest of the team had brought.

In one corner of the room Bart, now a man, was leaning against the wall, trying to sweet-talk Chloe. Some habits never die. A smirk formed on Clark's lips when he caught Lois's gaze. Silently she was telling him, "Oliver's not going to like him flirting with her."

A sharp shreik of joy caused him to turn towards the front door. "Uncle Ollie!" Lara dumped her backpack on the floor and went to jump into Oliver's arms for a bear hug.

"Hey Kiddo!" Oliver set the child back down, rubbing her head. Clark watched the interaction, the other guests walking towards Lara, and one by one they gave her fierce hugs. They had missed her. He maintained his spot in the kitchen, pouring a few glasses of lemonaide and walked to the living room, loaded with the drinks.

"Thank you Daddy." His daughter was looking up at him, her eyes wide and shining. Both him and Lois had wanted to surprise her with a party, but with her abilities he was certain that she had known from the moment it was first discussed. A child with super-hearing was an excellent eavesdropper. Through experience Clark had learned that female kryptonians certainately matured faster than the males.

"I love you, sweetheart." Affectionately, Clark hugged her. At this moment their friends had started to gather, and Lara was ushered towards a table full of presents.

Oliver held out his gift bag, jerking his thumb in Chloe's direction. "Your Aunt Chloe and I thought this would go great with your dad's gift." Clark, unsure of what they were talking about raised a brow as Oliver winked. Lara set the bag on the floor and opened it wide so she could peer inside. A shreik of delight escaped her as she pulled out a piece of red cloth. It was beautifully made and Clark saw a familiar symbol embroided onto it.

"Did I ever tell you the story about how your dad convinced me to wear one of those?" Lara shook her head no. "Well, sounds like an after dessert story." He winked at her and she placed the cape back into the bag, tackling Oliver for another hug.

"Thanks, Uncle Ollie and Aunt Chloe."

"Mine next." Bart piped up, handing a wrapped box to Lara. She sat down, gently undoing the ribbon. Inside was a small lead box. It was intricately designed with her name engraved on the top. Carefully she opened the box. Inside were several small pendants. The box itself was a five by five cube so the pendants didn't take up much space within. One pendant showed a lightning bolt, another had an arrow, and one had her father's family crest.

"I love it, Uncle Bart." And her hugathon continued.

"When you get older, you can fill it with all your memories. Memories of your whole family, of us, and a lead box seems to come in handy for you Kents."

She opened a few more gifts and then they all had cake. When they were finished Clark took a seat on the couch next to Oliver. Lois stood by Chloe and the guys assumed they were having 'girltalk'.

Eventually Lara made her way back over to Clark, giving him a tight hug around the neck.

"I love you, Daddy. I'm going to go outside and race Uncle Bart now." He grinned and gave her a small nod, watching as she tugged on his friend's hand.

"Be safe!" He called out after her.

"The kid's invulnerable, Clark. Oh wait, you were talking to Bart." Oliver gave a snort, laughing at his own joke.

"I'm glad you got to make it, Oliver" Clark said, a genuine cheer in his voice.

"I wouldn't miss it. Double digits for mini Lane. She's-" Oliver stopped talking as Clark stared off into the distance. He understood that he was hearing something. Probably some fire alarm, or an orphanage in distress, or a natural distaster, or possibly a nuclear missle.

"Lara." Clark whispered and then took off. He arrived at the barn, had heard the scream and then the sound of the wood collapsing from the upper deck of the barn. He stopped short of the collapsing beam, looking at the scene before him in amazement. Lois was standing beneath it, gripping the solid wood and holding it up as though it was nothing.

He didn't have any words for the situation, but as was custom, Lois knew just what to say. "Soooo... I've been meaning to tell you...You're going to be a dad... again." And then she grinned, despite holding up half the barn.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you guys for seeing this all the way through with me. I thought I would end on a high note. To all my new reviewers.

**IceQueen825 -** Included that last part for you :)

**TaraLittle -** I'm glad you stuck with me through the story. Maybe I will write another one.

**Hot-chocolate -** I wanted to stick with the best events of the story. I'm glad you have enjoyed it.

**Aaron Leach - **I'm glad you have enjoyed this as well. Thanks for reading and taking the time to review.

Farewell and Good Fortune!


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